Re: Car horns

>>Does anybody know anything about the tuning of
>>horns in cars, trucks, and trains? How about written sources? My
>>experience is as follows:
>>
>>Cars: usually two horns, tuned 2:3, 3:4, 4:5, 5:6
>
> But now I'm not so sure about the 4:5. In the last few days I think I've
> been hearing 7:9 for at least some of the major thirds. Please listen to
> the horns in your neighborhood and tell me what you think you hear.
>
> John Link

My god, John. That's it!!! I grew up in Detroit. No wonder my ear is fixated
on the 7:9 third. Evidently, I was startled at a young age hearing a Chevy
horn in one ear and a large truck blasting a 2:3 in the other. It really had
nothing to do with my high school choral teacher warming up the group
building major triads a cappella. Besides, all those other kids in the choir
grew up in the Detroit area and were likely similarly infected. ;-)

Keep up the good work, my friend.

Jerry

Keenan wrote:

>Today I heard a loud car horn (the type that goes "a-oo-gah") of a perfect
>9/7. I rather enjoyed it...

Perhaps a lot of you folks already know about the book & CD, _Gravikords,
Whirlies & Pyrophones - Experimental Musical Instruments_, by Bart Hopkin.
Scads of WAY offbeat ways to make sounds. A section on Harry Partch. From
inspirational to riotously funny - which reminds me of why I'm writing. The
book mentions Wendy Mae Chambers, who dug through auto graveyards until she
had enough different car horns to build the car horn organ. The CD features
her playing - most appropriately - "New York, New York."

My library has it, and I hope yours does, too.

- Chris P.