Erv Wilson's Linear Notations: Difference between revisions

The linear notations from [[Erv Wilson]] is a system of [[notation]] created to fit [https://en.xen.wiki/w/Tour_of_Regular_Temperaments linear temperaments] & [[equal-step tuning|equal scales]] on a [[wikipedia:Robert_Holford_Macdowall_Bosanquet|Bosanquet keyboard]]. They were first mentioned in the [http://anaphoria.com/xen2.pdf second volume] of the ''[[Xenharmonikôn]]'' in 1974, but discussed more in-depth in the [http://anaphoria.com/xen3a.pdf third volume], published in the spring of 1975. The system describes notations to be used for [[EDO]]s with different versions depending on the size of the [[perfect fifth]].

Wilson makes an example of a scale that could be made into a linear temperament by presenting his [[Combination product sets|Eikosany]] scale on a keyboard inspired by one for 41 notes. With the layout he chose, D'''\''' and β<big>ł</big> fall onto a homogeneous position from C (two keys down for D\, two keys up for β<big>ł</big>). Another detail shows that the 3, 9, & 3*9 keys are two [[Schisma|schismas]] off from the 5*7*11, 3*5*7*11, and 5*7*9*11 keys. With these two oddities, he suggests that a [[41edo|41EDO]] keyboard would be proper in hosting the Eikosany.

On the next page, he gives a section of his thoughts on the original Bosanquet layout, noting things like key shape and the width of intervals. In the current & future papers, he suggests & uses smaller hexagonal keys, saying that it eliminates dead space & suits more scales, like meantone & [[just intonation]]. Along with the Eikosany keyboard, he demonstrates two other keyboards with this variation of the layout, those being the [[wikipedia:Shruti_(music)|22 ''shruitis'' of India]] and a traditional [[Arabic, Turkish, Persian|Arabic]] system of 17 notes.[[File:A Handy Guide For The Notation Of 12-, 22-, 31-, And 41-Tone Systems.png|thumb|366x366px|An example of Wilson's notation system]]On the last two pages of the document, Wilson makes mention of a system of [[notation]] he issued in 1965. In these pages, he makes two categories based on how many steps C is from C#, and how many steps B# is from C. If C-C# is one step, its singular, two steps is binary, three steps is ternary, etc etc; if B# is less than C, its negative, neutral if they're the same, positive if B# is greater by one step, 2bly positive if B# is greater by two steps, etc etc. He also gives examples for accidentals up to the quaternary system; by this point, he hasn't made accidentals for a quinary system.