Arithmetic tuning: Difference between revisions

Cmloegcmluin (talk | contribs)
the typical reader will not share this special confusion with arithmetic mean, so I have moved that to a see also at the end, and instead clarified what arithmetic means in this context
Cmloegcmluin (talk | contribs)
See also: remove link to AID because Shaahin's pages are below the level of pedagogical clarity and conceptual coherency that this page should link to; and the link to the arithmetic mean is outdated because I have since realized the inherent link between means and progressions
 
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Equal frequency steps:
Equal frequency steps:
* [[OD|OD, otonal division]]
* [[OD|OD, otonal division]] (such as an [[ODO]])
* [[EFD|EFD, equal frequency division]]
* [[EFD|EFD, equal frequency division]]
* [[OS|OS, otonal sequence]]
* [[OS|OS, otonal sequence]]
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Equal pitch steps:
Equal pitch steps:
* [[EPD|EPD, or ED, equal (pitch) division]] (such as an [[EDO]])
* [[EPD|EPD, or ED, equal (pitch) division]] (such as an [[EDO]])
* [[AS|AS, ambitonal sequence]]
* [[APS|APS, arithmetic pitch sequence]]
* [[APS|APS, arithmetic pitch sequence]]
* [[AS|AS, ambitonal sequence]]


Equal length steps:
Equal length steps:
* [[UD|UD, utonal division]]
* [[UD|UD, utonal division]] (such as a [[UDO]])
* [[ELD|ELD, equal length division]]
* [[ELD|ELD, equal length division]]
* [[US|US, utonal sequence]]
* [[ALS|ALS, arithmetic length sequence]]
* [[ALS|ALS, arithmetic length sequence]]
* [[US|US, utonal sequence]]


== Basic examples ==
== Basic examples ==
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Other arithmetic tunings can be found by changing the step size. For example, if you vary the overtone series to have a step size of 3/4 instead of 1, then you get the tuning <math>1, 1\frac 34, 2\frac 24, 3\frac14</math><span>, which is equivalent to <math>\frac 44, \frac 74, \frac{10}{4}, \frac{13}{4}</math>, or in other words, a class iii [[isoharmonic chords|isoharmonic]] tuning with starting position of 4. We call this the otonal sequence of 3 over 4, or OS3/4.  
Other arithmetic tunings can be found by changing the step size. For example, if you vary the overtone series to have a step size of 3/4 instead of 1, then you get the tuning <math>1, 1\frac 34, 2\frac 24, 3\frac14</math><span>, which is equivalent to <math>\frac 44, \frac 74, \frac{10}{4}, \frac{13}{4}</math>, or in other words, a class iii [[isoharmonic chords|isoharmonic]] tuning with starting position of 4. We call this the otonal sequence of 3 over 4, or OS3/4.  


If the new step size is irrational, the tuning is no longer JI, so we use a different acronym to distinguish it: AFS, for arithmetic frequency sequence. For example, if we wanted to move by steps of φ, like this: <math>1, 1+φ, 1+2φ, 1+3φ...</math> etc. we could have the AFSφ.  
If the new step size is irrational, the tuning is no longer JI, so we fall back to a more general acronym to distinguish it: AFS, for arithmetic frequency sequence. For example, if we wanted to move by steps of φ, like this: <math>1, 1+φ, 1+2φ, 1+3φ...</math> etc. we could have the AFSφ. Because different acronyms are used to distinguish rational (JI) tunings from general tunings which include irrational (non-JI) tunings, while the acronyms used for general tunings technically include the JI tunings, these general acronyms are more useful when reserved for non-JI tunings, and this is what is typically done. So when "irrational" is used on this page, it more accurately means "probably irrational".


OS and AFS are equivalent to taking an overtone series and adding (or subtracting) a constant amount of frequency. By doing this, the step sizes remain equal in frequency, but their relationship in pitch changes. For a detailed explanation of this, see the later section on the [[OS#Derivation|derivation of OS]].
OS and AFS are equivalent to taking an overtone series and adding (or subtracting) a constant amount of frequency. By doing this, the step sizes remain equal in frequency, but their relationship in pitch changes. For a detailed explanation of this, see the later section on the [[OS#Derivation|derivation of OS]].
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It is convenient that the three basic types of divisions — OD, ED, and UD — all begin with vowels. As do the three rational types of sequences — OS, AS, and US.
It is convenient that the three basic types of divisions — OD, ED, and UD — all begin with vowels. As do the three rational types of sequences — OS, AS, and US.
== See also ==
* [[Arithmetic mean]]: uses the word "arithmetic" in a somewhat different sense than it is used in "arithmetic sequence", though in both cases it refers to addition


[[Category:Otonality and utonality]]
[[Category:Otonality and utonality]]