Indonesian scales (was: artificial scales)

[Kraig Grady, TD 562.14]:
>I do not think we quite understand everything that is going on with
>Balinese ( and the rest of indonesian) Scales. These scales have not
>been successfully described by anyone. Since they are tuned by ear it
>seems reasonable (but not conclusive) that there is some sort of
>acoustical phenomenon going on.

Bill Sethares has done a lot of research on Indonesian scales, which you
can read about in his book, "Tuning, Timbre, Spectrum, Scale". He
relates the tunings used in Indonesian gamelans to minima in dissonance
curves calculated from the instrument's non-integer partials. If I
remember correctly, he also gives examples of Indonesian tunings based
on the minima in dissonance curves formed from the combination of
non-integer partials from the gamelan instruments and integer partials
(harmonics) from other instruments such as bowed stringed instruments
that accompany the gamelan instruments.

You can read a little about his book at the following webpage:
http://eceserv0.ece.wisc.edu/~sethares/ttss.html

Bill's homepage is:
http://eceserv0.ece.wisc.edu/~sethares/

I have read "Tuning, Timbre, Spectrum, Scale" and recommend it.

Cheers,
Christopher

[Kraig Grady, TD 562.14]:
>I do not think we quite understand everything that is going on with
>Balinese ( and the rest of indonesian) Scales. These scales have not
>been successfully described by anyone. Since they are tuned by ear it
>seems reasonable (but not conclusive) that there is some sort of
>acoustical phenomenon going on.

[Christopher Chapman, TD 564.4]:
>Bill Sethares has done a lot of research on Indonesian scales, which
>you can read about in his book, "Tuning, Timbre, Spectrum, Scale". He
>relates the tunings used in Indonesian gamelans to minima in dissonance
>curves calculated from the instrument's non-integer partials.

[Kraig Grady, TD 564.18]:
>Yes another theroy ,but as i said not any more conclusive than the
>others!

Dr. Sethares' theory is consistent with his measurements of the
Indonesian instruments' partials and their tunings based on many
recording he made "in the field" in Indonesia. Do you have measurements
of Indonesian instruments' partials and tunings that are not consistent
with his theory? On what basis do you say that Dr. Sethares' work is
"not any more conclusive than the others"?

-- Christopher