Harpejji: Difference between revisions

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two diatonic scale shapes
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The Harpejji (see [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpejji Wikipedia]) is a tapping stringed instrument which is a physically constrained to be an [[isomorphic keyboard]]. It is a successor to the StarrBoard which was created by [[John Starrett]].
The '''Harpejji''' (see [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpejji Wikipedia]) is a tapping stringed instrument which is a physically constrained to be an [[isomorphic keyboard]]. It is a successor to the StarrBoard which was created by [[John Starrett]].


The standard layout for a Harpejji is like this, with the open strings tuned in whole tones of 12edo, so that the seventh string is an octave above the first.
The standard layout for a Harpejji is like this, with the open strings tuned in whole tones of 12edo, so that the seventh string is an octave above the first.
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As you can see, the up-and-to-the-right (meantone) diatonic scale has exactly the same shape on the fretboard, and the main difference compared to the 12edo layout is that unisons are no longer a knights-move away on adjacent strings (2 up and 1 left). Instead, in 19edo the unisons are 3 up and 2 left. This means the down-and-to-the-right shape doesn't work the same way anymore, since from E you have to skip over E# to get to F.
As you can see, the up-and-to-the-right (meantone) diatonic scale has exactly the same shape on the fretboard, and the main difference compared to the 12edo layout is that unisons are no longer a knights-move away on adjacent strings (2 up and 1 left). Instead, in 19edo the unisons are 3 up and 2 left. This means the down-and-to-the-right shape doesn't work the same way anymore, since from E you have to skip over E# to get to F.


An alternative layout for 19edo, based on preserving the shape of the down-and-to-the-right shape of the diatonic scale, looks like this:
An alternative layout for 19edo, based on preserving the down-and-to-the-right shape of the diatonic scale, looks like this:


  Eb F  G  A  B  c# d# f# gb ab bb c'
  Eb F  G  A  B  c# d# f# gb ab bb c'
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While the previous 19edo layout had successive frets spaced at a distance of 2 19edo steps from each other, this layout instead has every 19edo step as its own fret. This could be a disadvantage in that the spaces between frets might become too small for the fingers in the high register.
While the previous 19edo layout had successive frets spaced at a distance of 2 19edo steps from each other, this layout instead has every 19edo step as its own fret. This could be a disadvantage in that the spaces between frets might become too small for the fingers in the high register.
==Neutral third generator (split fifth)==
In [[neutral third scales]], the chromatic semitone is split in half. Unfortunately there is no good way to do this while preserving the up-and-to-the-right diatonic scale shape, but it's simple with the down-and-to-the-right diatonic scale shape. Using notation where ^ = (1/2)# and v = (1/2)b, the result looks like this:
C  D  E  F# G# A# B# cx
Cv Dv Ev F^ G^ A^ B^ c#^
Cb Db Eb F  G  A  B  c# d# e# fx
          Fv Gv Av Bv c^ d^ e^ f#^
          Fb Gb Ab Bb c  d  e  f# g#
                      cv dv ev f^ g^
                      cb db eb f  g
One drawback of this is the frets would be quite close together, for example in 31edo they would be only one 31edo step.
In a particular EDO, of course, there will be enharmonic equivalences, so there will be unisons between different strings. For example, 17edo is perhaps the simplest reasonable one which has a neutral third (sorry, 10edo!):
D^ F  G  A  B  dv ev f^ g^ a^ c' d'
D  E  Gv Av Bv c^ d^ f  g  a  b  dv'
Dv Ev F^ G^ A^ c  d  e  gv av bv c^'
C^ D^ F  G  A  B  dv ev f^ g^ a^ c'
C  D  E  Gv Av Bv c^ d^ f  g  a  b
Cv Dv Ev F^ G^ A^ c  d  e  gv av bv
Because of the particularly simple enharmonic relationships in 17edo, the up-and-to-the-right shape of the diatonic scale is restored in this one (because E^ = F).
The version of this one for 24edo happens to be exactly the same as the standard 12edo layout with a new fret in between each pair of 24edo ones.
D  E  F# G# Bb c  d  e  f# g# bb
Dv Ev F^ G^ A^ B^ dv ev f^ g^ a^
Db Eb F  G  A  B  c# eb f  g  a
C^ D^ Fv Gv Av Bv c^ d^ e^ gv av
C  D  E  F# Ab Bb c  d  e  f# g#
Cv Dv Ev F^ G^ A^ cv dv ev f^ g^
An alternative layout to the above (for any neutral thirds tuning) preserves neither shape of the diatonic scale but uses a new one where E-F and B-C wrap back to the left. It has the advantage of having frets that are a neutral second apart, which is actually even wider than in the standard 12edo Harpejji:
      db eb f  g  a  b
      cv dv ev f^ g^ a^
Gb Ab Bb c  d  e  f# g#
Fv Gv Av Bv c^ d^ e^ f#^
Eb F  G  A  B  c# d# e#
Dv Ev F^ G^ A^ B^ c#^
C  D  E  F# G# A# B#
The 24edo version of that looks like this:
A  B  c# eb f  g  a  b  c#'
G^ A^ B^ dv ev f^ g^ a^ b^ dv'
F# G# Bb c  d  e  f# g# bb c' d'
Fv Gv Av Bv c^ d^ e^ gv av bv c^'
Eb F  G  A  B  c# eb f  g  a  b
Dv Ev F^ G^ A^ B^ dv ev f^ g^ a^
C  D  E  F# Ab Bb c  d  e  f# g#
In this case the frets of a single string turn out to be exactly 8edo.
[[Category:Instruments]]