Beginner's guide to scales and tunings: Difference between revisions

Line 7:

='''Basic Terminology'''=

'''Scale - a finite row of tones ordered by pitch'''

'''[[Scale]] - a finite row of tones ordered by pitch'''

'''Tuning - a finite superset of scales (scales exist within tunings) Tunings also are considered to be scales because they are a row of tones as well'''

'''[[Tuning]] - a finite superset of scales (scales exist within tunings) Tunings also are considered to be scales because they are a row of tones as well'''

'''Chord - a set of ~~notes~~ acting as one unit taken from an existing scale/tuning'''

'''[[Chord]] - a set of [[note]]s acting as one unit taken from an existing scale/tuning'''

'''Equal Temperament - a tuning/scale made of notes that are all equally spaced apart'''

'''[[Equal-step tuning|Equal Temperament]] - a tuning/scale made of notes that are all equally spaced apart'''

'''Mos - (Moment of Symmetry) a scale in which every interval comes in two sizes'''

'''[[Mos]] - (Moment of Symmetry) a scale in which every interval comes in two sizes'''

'''Step - the distance from one note to another'''

'''[[Step]] - the distance from one note to another'''

'''Interval - A name of a particular distance of one note to another'''

'''[[Interval]] - A name of a particular distance of one note to another'''

What is a scale you might ask? Put simply, it's just some notes which are arranged from low to high. While the word "scale" is generic and changes meaning slightly depending on context, the word tuning more specifically refers to the maximum number of possible unique pitches in a piece of music or instrument. What I mean is, a tuning refers to the set of notes in which we say are "allowed" or "possible", on a real instrument, this is easy to demonstrate but we first must understand ''~~octaves~~ and ~~cents~~.''

What is a scale you might ask? Put simply, it's just some notes which are arranged from low to high. While the word "scale" is generic and changes meaning slightly depending on context, the word tuning more specifically refers to the maximum number of possible unique pitches in a piece of music or instrument. What I mean is, a tuning refers to the set of notes in which we say are "allowed" or "possible", on a real instrument, this is easy to demonstrate but we first must understand ''[[octave]]s and [[cent]]s.''

=Cents notation and octaves=

Line 27:

In architecture and construction, we have a unit of measurement called length. In the microtonal and tuning world, we also have a measurement called cents. Cents is the measurement

in which we measure the distance from one pitch to another. One cent is exactly 100th of the distance between two keys on a piano.A half-step, the smallest interval in 12 Equal is exactly 100 cents and this is what we base our interval measurement on. If we know that 100 cents is the distance from one key on a piano to one higher or lower by a half step, then we know that two keys distance is 200 cents right? If we keep going we eventually arrive at 1200 cents. At this point the two notes 000 cents and 1200 cents from the same note sound identical but one is higher and one is lower. This is what we call the "octave". You might have heard of the term in basic music theory; ''the name octave comes from the eighth note in a major scale.''

in which we measure the distance from one pitch to another. One cent is exactly 100th of the distance between two keys on a piano.A half-step, the smallest interval in [[12edo|12 Equal]] is exactly 100 cents and this is what we base our interval measurement on. If we know that 100 cents is the distance from one key on a piano to one higher or lower by a half step, then we know that two keys distance is 200 cents right? If we keep going we eventually arrive at 1200 cents. At this point the two notes 000 cents and 1200 cents from the same note sound identical but one is higher and one is lower. This is what we call the "octave". You might have heard of the term in basic music theory; ''the name octave comes from the eighth note in a major scale.''

Looking at music in this way is cool. We know that we can break down a piano into cents in increments of 100 cents.

[[Category:Guides]]

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 ='''Basic Terminology'''=
-'''Scale - a finite row of tones ordered by pitch'''
+'''[[Scale]] - a finite row of tones ordered by pitch'''
-'''Tuning - a finite superset of scales (scales exist within tunings) Tunings also are considered to be scales because they are a row of tones as well'''
+'''[[Tuning]] - a finite superset of scales (scales exist within tunings) Tunings also are considered to be scales because they are a row of tones as well'''
-'''Chord - a set of notes acting as one unit taken from an existing scale/tuning'''
+'''[[Chord]] - a set of [[note]]s acting as one unit taken from an existing scale/tuning'''
-'''Equal Temperament - a tuning/scale made of notes that are all equally spaced apart'''
+'''[[Equal-step tuning|Equal Temperament]] - a tuning/scale made of notes that are all equally spaced apart'''
-'''Mos - (Moment of Symmetry) a scale in which every interval comes in two sizes'''
+'''[[Mos]] - (Moment of Symmetry) a scale in which every interval comes in two sizes'''
-'''Step - the distance from one note to another'''
+'''[[Step]] - the distance from one note to another'''
-'''Interval - A name of a particular distance of one note to another'''
+'''[[Interval]] - A name of a particular distance of one note to another'''
-What is a scale you might ask? Put simply, it's just some notes which are arranged from low to high. While the word "scale" is generic and changes meaning slightly depending on context, the word tuning more specifically refers to the maximum number of possible unique pitches in a piece of music or instrument. What I mean is, a tuning refers to the set of notes in which we say are "allowed" or "possible", on a real instrument, this is easy to demonstrate but we first must understand ''octaves and cents.''
+What is a scale you might ask? Put simply, it's just some notes which are arranged from low to high. While the word "scale" is generic and changes meaning slightly depending on context, the word tuning more specifically refers to the maximum number of possible unique pitches in a piece of music or instrument. What I mean is, a tuning refers to the set of notes in which we say are "allowed" or "possible", on a real instrument, this is easy to demonstrate but we first must understand ''[[octave]]s and [[cent]]s.''
 =Cents notation and octaves=
@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 In architecture and construction, we have a unit of measurement called length. In the microtonal and tuning world, we also have a measurement called cents. Cents is the measurement
-in which we measure the distance from one pitch to another. One cent is exactly 100th of the distance between two keys on a piano.A half-step, the smallest interval in 12 Equal is exactly 100 cents and this is what we base our interval measurement on. If we know that 100 cents is the distance from one key on a piano to one higher or lower by a half step, then we know that two keys distance is 200 cents right? If we keep going we eventually arrive at 1200 cents. At this point the two notes 000 cents and 1200 cents from the same note sound identical but one is higher and one is lower. This is what we call the "octave". You might have heard of the term in basic music theory; ''the name octave comes from the eighth note in a major scale.''
+in which we measure the distance from one pitch to another. One cent is exactly 100th of the distance between two keys on a piano.A half-step, the smallest interval in [[12edo|12 Equal]] is exactly 100 cents and this is what we base our interval measurement on. If we know that 100 cents is the distance from one key on a piano to one higher or lower by a half step, then we know that two keys distance is 200 cents right? If we keep going we eventually arrive at 1200 cents. At this point the two notes 000 cents and 1200 cents from the same note sound identical but one is higher and one is lower. This is what we call the "octave". You might have heard of the term in basic music theory; ''the name octave comes from the eighth note in a major scale.''
 Looking at music in this way is cool. We know that we can break down a piano into cents in increments of 100 cents.
 [[Category:Guides]]