User:Unque/Barbershop Tuning Theory: Difference between revisions

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While Barbershop music ~~primarily uses~~ 7-limit Just Intonation, it contains a number of idiosyncrasies and dialectal variation that differ from one performer to another, often dipping into tempered tunings or even into higher prime limits. On this page, I plan to document the chords of Barbershop harmony and the variations that occur among them; additionally, I will discuss the theoretical reasoning behind ~~choosing~~ one tuning over another, and ~~potential~~ theoretical extensions that could provide other potential tunings for a chord. Any purely theoretical or otherwise unattested tunings will be explicitly disclaimed as such.

While Barbershop music is typically said to use 7-limit Just Intonation, in practice it contains a number of idiosyncrasies and dialectal variation that differ from one performer to another, often dipping into tempered tunings or even into higher prime limits. On this page, I plan to document the chords of Barbershop harmony and the variations that occur among them; additionally, I will discuss the theoretical reasoning behind a performer's choice of one tuning over another, and theoretical extensions that could provide other potential tunings for a given chord. Any purely theoretical or otherwise unattested tunings will be explicitly disclaimed as such.

Note that the ratios given here are ''approximations'', not precise measurements. Most performers don't analyze the intervals as JI ratios, but rather slightly adjust the tunings to make the chords ring better. Even if they did analyze the ratios, the voice would not be precise enough to articulate certain minute differences, and as such these ratios would still not precisely represent the actual practical sounds being sung.

Chords are given here as harmonic segments within the octave unless otherwise specified; true Barbershop performance often uses more open voicings, inversions, or other kinds of permutations ~~due~~ to octaves ~~being perceived as equivalent~~.

Chords are given here as harmonic segments within the octave unless otherwise specified; true Barbershop performance often uses more open voicings, inversions, or other kinds of permutations with respect to the equivalent octaves.

== The Barbershop Seventh ==

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-While Barbershop music primarily uses 7-limit Just Intonation, it contains a number of idiosyncrasies and dialectal variation that differ from one performer to another, often dipping into tempered tunings or even into higher prime limits.  On this page, I plan to document the chords of Barbershop harmony and the variations that occur among them; additionally, I will discuss the theoretical reasoning behind choosing one tuning over another, and potential theoretical extensions that could provide other potential tunings for a chord.  Any purely theoretical or otherwise unattested tunings will be explicitly disclaimed as such.
+While Barbershop music is typically said to use 7-limit Just Intonation, in practice it contains a number of idiosyncrasies and dialectal variation that differ from one performer to another, often dipping into tempered tunings or even into higher prime limits.  On this page, I plan to document the chords of Barbershop harmony and the variations that occur among them; additionally, I will discuss the theoretical reasoning behind a performer's choice of one tuning over another, and theoretical extensions that could provide other potential tunings for a given chord.  Any purely theoretical or otherwise unattested tunings will be explicitly disclaimed as such.
 Note that the ratios given here are ''approximations'', not precise measurements.  Most performers don't analyze the intervals as JI ratios, but rather slightly adjust the tunings to make the chords ring better.  Even if they did analyze the ratios, the voice would not be precise enough to articulate certain minute differences, and as such these ratios would still not precisely represent the actual practical sounds being sung.
-Chords are given here as harmonic segments within the octave unless otherwise specified; true Barbershop performance often uses more open voicings, inversions, or other kinds of permutations due to octaves being perceived as equivalent.
+Chords are given here as harmonic segments within the octave unless otherwise specified; true Barbershop performance often uses more open voicings, inversions, or other kinds of permutations with respect to the equivalent octaves.
 == The Barbershop Seventh ==