Instruments: Difference between revisions

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Information on how to get musical instruments to play music in a variety of tunings.
Many kinds of musical instruments can be used to play [[microtonal music]], ranging from non-microtonal instruments (i.e. designed to be played in [[12edo]]) to custom-designed xenharmonic instruments.


See also [[The_Great_Xenharmonic_Fixed-Pitch_Instrument_Database|The Great Xenharmonic Fixed-Pitch Instrument Database]] .
Fixed pitch instruments make it easier for musicians to play notes accurately and reliably, although they give access to a limited set of pitches. Many non-microtonal instruments can be played microtonally without any modification to the instrument by using extended techniques, such as microtonal fingerings on woodwinds. Non-microtonal instruments can also be modified, either temporarily or permanently; this includes notably nonstandard (open) tunings on string instruments and [[Guitar#Refretting|guitar refretting]]. Finally, new instruments can be created from scratch; many such custom-designed instruments can be found in the [[list of xenharmonic fixed pitch instruments]].


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Continuous pitch instruments give access to a wider range of pitches, but often require more skill to be played accurately and reliably. The human voice falls in this category, along with other standard instruments such as [[bowed strings]] and [[trombone]]s. Some extended techniques allow for continuous pitch adjustments, even on fixed pitch instruments, such as [[Wikipedia:String bending|string bending]] on guitars and lip bending on wind instruments like [[trumpet]]s and saxophones. Several custom instruments also fall in this category, including the [[udderbot]] and the [[Infinitone]].


<ul><li>[[string_instruments|Strings]]
The following is a non-exhaustive list of instruments which can be used to play xenharmonic music. You can find additional information by following the links to each instrument's dedicated page.


<ul><li>fretted: [[microguitar|guitars]], [[microbass|bass]], banjo, mandolin, [[Fun_With_Microtones|ukulele]], balalaika, viol, sitar, etc.</li><li>(unfretted) [[MicrotonalBowedStrings|violin etc.]], oud, [[qanun|qanun]], [[microbass|fretless bass]], harps, zithers, hammer dulcimers, dan bau</li><li>[[autoharp|autoharp]]</li><li>[[moodswinger|moodswinger]]</li><li>[http://chrisvaisvil.com/?p=789 Home Made Canon]</li><li>[http://bp.b0b.com/2012/11/sierra-pedal-steel/ pedal steel]</li><li>[http://chrisvaisvil.com/diy-temporary-cable-tie-guitar-frets-version-2/ Cable Tie Frets] - instruction and examples on using cable ties as frets on a defretted guitar</li></ul></li><li>[[microtonal_brass|Brass]]:
== Winds ==
* [[Bassoon]]
* [[Clarinet]]
* [[Flugelhorn]]
* [[Flute]]
* [[Harmonica]]
* [[Horn]]
* [[Infinitone]]
* [[Recorder]]
* [[Saxophone]]
* [[Shakuhachi]]
* [[Trombone]]
* [[Trumpet]]
* [[Tuba]]
* [[Udderbot]]
* [[Whistle]]


<ul><li>[[microtonal_trumpet|Trumpet]], [[microtonal_horn|Horn]], [[microtrombone|Trombone]] (duh!), [[microtonal_tuba|Tuba]], digeridoo, alphorn</li><li>[http://bwhisperer.com/index bwhisperer.com] JI-oriented website, "The Brass Whisperer's main aim is to play with subtle music tunings and coax brass players (and other musicians) into achieving delicious harmonies."</li></ul></li><li>[[microtonal_woodwinds|Woodwinds]]
== Percussion ==
* [[Bells]]
* [[Conic Bellophone in 96edo|Conic bellophone]]
* [[Daxophone]]
* [[Kalimba]]
* [[Marimba]]
* [[Tubulong]]


<ul><li>Reedless Instruments: [[Flutes|Flutes]], [[microrecorder|Recorders]], [[Whistles|Whistles]]</li><li>Reed Instruments: [[Bassoons|Bassoons]], [[microtonal_clarinet|Clarinets]], [[Saxophones|Saxophones]], [[Oboes|Oboes]]</li></ul></li><li>[[mallet_percussion|Percussion]]
== Keyboards ==
{{Main| Keyboard }}


<ul><li>[[mallet_percussion|mallet keyboards]]: vibraphone, xylophone, [[marimba|marimba]], glockenspiel, crotales, lithophone, etc.</li><li>tuned drums: timpani, rototoms, pat waing</li><li>bells: [[carillon|carillon]], [[Conic_Bellophone_in_96edo|conic bellophone]], [[tubulong|tubulong]], amglocken, handbells, [[zoomoozophone|zoomoozophone]], [http://www.ekmelic-music.org/en/instr/kk.htm sound tower/sound cube]</li><li>lamellophones: [[kalimba_(mbira)|kalimba (mbira)]], marimbula</li><li>friction idiophones: musical saw, wine glasses, [[nail_violin|nail violin]], [[Daxophone|Daxophone]]</li></ul></li><li>[[Microtonal_Keyboards|Keyboards]]: <span style="">Piano</span>, <span style="">Harpsichord</span>, <span style="">Organ</span>, <span style="">Clavichord, but also Synthesizers</span></li>
* [[Fluid piano]]
* [[Piano]]


<li>Web browser-based on-screen keyboards:<ul>
== Strings ==
<li>
* [[Autoharp]]
[[User:SAKryukov#Microtonal_Music_Study_using_specialized_chromatic_keyboards_and_Web_Audio_API|&ldquo;Microtonal Study&rdquo; family]]
* [[Bowed strings]]
<li>
* [[Electric bass]]
<li>
* [[Guitar]]
</li>
* [[Harp]]
<li>ReTuner:
* [[Harpejji]]
[https://www.facebook.com/retuner on facebook], [https://encyclotronic.com/apps/microtonal/retuner-r24 on Encyclotronic]
* [[Pedal steel guitar]]
</ul>
* [[Qanun]]
</li>
* [[Ukulele]]


<li>[[Free_Reeds|Free Reeds]]:
== Electronics ==
* [[Moog Subharmonicon]]
* [[Verbos Harmonic Oscillator]]


<ul><li>[[Harmonica|Harmonica]]</li><li>Reed Organs, Accordion, Melodica, Khaen, etc.</li></ul></li><li>Others: [[udderbot|udderbot]], [[tubulong|tubulong]], [http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/oddmusic/message/17051 balloon flute]</li><li>[[Software|Software]], [[DAWs|DAWs]], [[List_of_Microtonal_Software_Plugins|plugins]]</li></ul>
== See also ==
 
* [[List of xenharmonic fixed pitch instruments]]
== Tuning-agnostic instruments ==
* [[List of microtonal hardware synths]]
These instruments can play in any microtonal scale out-of-the-box, because 12edo is not a part of their manufacture:
* [[:Category:Instruments]]
 
* Fretless string instruments
 
** Fretless bass
** Fretless guitar
** Violin, viola, cello, double bass (the string quartet is a whole tuning-agnostic ensemble)
** Oud
* String instruments with one pitch per string
** Hammered dulcimer
* Wind instruments with a slide or other continuous pitch control
** Trombone
** [[Udderbot]]
* Musical saw
* [[Daxophone]]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theremin Theremin (originally named Termenvox)]


[[Category:Instruments]]
== Further reading ==
[[Category:Practice]]
* Hugh Davies/Alexander Bonus, [https://archive.org/details/grovedictionaryo0003unse_w4m2/page/459/ Microtonal instruments]. The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, Second Edition, 2014. Volume Three, page 459.
[[Category:Tools]]
* [https://archive.org/details/emi_archive/ Experimental Musical Instruments] journal
* Fletcher and Rossing, [https://csclub.uwaterloo.ca/~pbarfuss/The_Physics_of_Musical_Instruments.pdf The Physics of Musical Instruments]. Springer-Verlag, 1991


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