53edo: Difference between revisions

53edo is notable as an excellent [[5-limit]] system, a fact apparently first noted by {{w|Isaac Newton}}<ref>[https://emusicology.org/index.php/EMR/article/view/7647/6030 Muzzulini, Daniel. 2021. "Isaac Newton's Microtonal Approach to Just Intonation". ''Empirical Musicology Review'' 15 (3–4):223–48. https://doi.org/10.18061/emr.v15i3-4.7647.]</ref>. It is the seventh [[The Riemann zeta function and tuning #Zeta EDO lists|strict zeta edo]]. In the opinion of some, 53edo is the first equal division to deal adequately with the [[13-limit]], while others award that distinction to [[41edo]] or [[46edo]]. Like 41 and 46, 53 is distinctly [[consistent]] in the [[9-odd-limit]] (and if we exclude the most damaged interval pair, 7/5 and 10/7, is [[consistent to distance]] 2), but among them, 53 is the first that finds the [[interseptimal interval]]s [[15/13]] and [[13/10]] distinctly from adjacent [[7-limit|septimal]] intervals [[8/7]] and [[7/6]], and [[9/7]] and [[21/16]], respectively, which is essential to its 13-limit credibility. It also avoids equating [[11/9]] with [[16/13]], so that the former is tuned very flat to equate it with a slightly flat [[~]][[39/32]] – a feature shared by 46edo. It is almost consistent to the entire [[15-odd-limit]], with the only inconsistency occurring at [[14/11]] (and its octave complement), which is mapped inconsistently sharp and equated with [[9/7]], but it has the benefit of doing very well in larger prime/subgroup-limited odd-limits. It can be treated as a no-11's, no-17's tuning, on which it is consistent all the way up to the [[27-odd-limit]].  

As an equal temperament, it notably [[tempering out|tempers out]] [[Mercator's comma]] (3⁵³/2⁸⁴), the [[schisma|schisma (32805/32768)]], [[15625/15552|kleisma (15625/15552)]], and [[amity comma|amity comma (1600000/1594323)]]. In the 7-limit it tempers out the [[225/224|marvel comma (225/224)]] for which it is a [[Marvel#Tunings|relatively efficient tuning]], [[1728/1715|orwellisma (1728/1715)]], [[3125/3087|gariboh comma (3125/3087)]], and [[4375/4374|ragisma (4375/4374)]]. In the 11-limit, it tempers out [[99/98]] and [[121/120]] (in addition to their difference, [[540/539]]), and is the [[optimal patent val]] for [[big brother]] temperament, which tempers out both, as well as 11-limit [[orwell]] temperament, which also tempers out the 11-limit commas [[176/175]] and [[385/384]]. In the 13-limit, it tempers out [[169/168]], [[275/273]], [[325/324]], [[625/624]], [[676/675]], [[1001/1000]], [[2080/2079]], and [[4096/4095]], and gives the optimal patent val for [[marvel family #Athene|athene]] temperament.  

53edo has also found a certain dissemination as an edo tuning for [[Arabic, Turkish, Persian|Arabic, Turkish, and Persian music]]. It can also be used as an extended [[3-limit|Pythagorean tuning]], since its fifths are almost indistinguishable from just.

53edo's step is sometimes called the "Holdrian comma", despite the 53rd root of 2 being an irrational number; the step's role as a "comma" comes from it being an approximation of the Pythagorean comma and syntonic comma.

{{Harmonics in equal|53|columns=9}}

{{Harmonics in equal|53|columns=10|start=10|collapsed=true|title=Approximation of prime harmonics in 53edo (continued)}}

See [[#Approximation to JI]] for details and a more in-depth discussion.

Many of its multiples such as [[159edo]], [[212edo]], [[742edo]], [[901edo]] and [[954edo]] have good consistency limits and are each of their own interest. The [[mercator family]] comprises rank-2 temperaments with 1/53-octave periods.

| 22.6

| 45.3

| 67.9

| 90.6

| 113.2

| 135.8

| 158.5

| 181.1

| 203.8

| 226.4

| 249.1

| 271.7

| 294.3

| 317.0

| 339.6

| 362.3

| 384.9

| 407.5

| 430.2

| 452.8

| 475.5

| 498.1

| 520.8

| 543.4

| 566.0

| [[18/13]]

| 588.7

| 611.3

| 634.0

| [[13/9]]

| 656.6

| 679.2

| 701.9

| 724.5

| 747.2

| 769.8

| 792.5

| 815.1

| 837.7

| 860.4

| 883.0

| 905.7

| 928.3

| 950.9

| 973.6

| 996.2

| 1018.9

| 1041.5

| 1064.2

| 1086.8

| 1109.4

| 1132.1

| 1154.7

| 1177.4

=== Ups and downs notation ===

53edo can be notated with [[ups and downs]], spoken as up, dup, dudsharp, downsharp, sharp, upsharp etc. and down, dud, dupflat etc. Note that dudsharp is equivalent to trup (triple-up) and dupflat is equivalent to trud (triple-down).

{{Sharpness-sharp5a}}

Another notation uses [[Alternative symbols for ups and downs notation#Sharp-5|alternative ups and downs]]. Here, this can be done using sharps and flats with arrows, borrowed from extended [[Helmholtz–Ellis notation]]:

{{Sharpness-sharp5}}

In the diagrams above, a sagittal symbol followed by an equals sign (=) means that the following comma is the symbol's [[Sagittal notation#Primary comma|primary comma]] (the comma it ''exactly'' represents in JI), while an approximately equals sign (≈) means it is a secondary comma (a comma it ''approximately'' represents in JI). In both cases the symbol exactly represents the tempered version of the comma in this EDO.

53edo's [[circle of fifths|circle of 53 fifths]] can be bent into a [[spiral chart|12-spoked "spiral of fifths"]]. This is possible because 31\53 is on the 7\12 kite in the [[scale tree]]. Stated another way, it is possible because the absolute value of 53edo's [[sharpness#dodeca-sharpness|dodeca-sharpness]] (edosteps per [[Pythagorean comma]]) is 1.  

Because the 5th is so accurate, 53edo also offers good approximations for Pythagorean thirds. In addition, the 43\53 interval is only 4.8 cents wider than 7/4, so 53edo can also be used for 7-limit harmony, in which it tempers out the [[septimal kleisma]], 225/224.

| Schismina

| [[Submajor]]

<nowiki/>* [[Normal lists|Octave-reduced form]], reduced to the first half-octave

* Palace (approximated from [[Porky]] in [[29edo]]): 7 7 8 9 7 7 8

* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKXMuhB3uHQ ''Maple Leaf Rag''] (1899) – arranged for harpsichord and rendered by Claudi Meneghin (2024)

* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-pRqKGX0oo ''Maple Leaf Rag''] (1899) – with syntonic comma adjustment, arranged for harpsichord and rendered by Claudi Meneghin (2024)

=== 21st century ===