Just intonation: Difference between revisions
Wikispaces>hstraub **Imported revision 241450853 - Original comment: ** |
Wikispaces>Sarzadoce **Imported revision 245288083 - Original comment: Fixed strange wording** |
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<h2>IMPORTED REVISION FROM WIKISPACES</h2> | <h2>IMPORTED REVISION FROM WIKISPACES</h2> | ||
This is an imported revision from Wikispaces. The revision metadata is included below for reference:<br> | This is an imported revision from Wikispaces. The revision metadata is included below for reference:<br> | ||
: This revision was by author [[User: | : This revision was by author [[User:Sarzadoce|Sarzadoce]] and made on <tt>2011-08-10 15:16:03 UTC</tt>.<br> | ||
: The original revision id was <tt> | : The original revision id was <tt>245288083</tt>.<br> | ||
: The revision comment was: <tt></tt><br> | : The revision comment was: <tt>Fixed strange wording</tt><br> | ||
The revision contents are below, presented both in the original Wikispaces Wikitext format, and in HTML exactly as Wikispaces rendered it.<br> | The revision contents are below, presented both in the original Wikispaces Wikitext format, and in HTML exactly as Wikispaces rendered it.<br> | ||
<h4>Original Wikitext content:</h4> | <h4>Original Wikitext content:</h4> | ||
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"Sol" 150 300 450 600 750 900 | "Sol" 150 300 450 600 750 900 | ||
You see that the tones share the frequencies of some of the partials. These partials will "meld" when our Do and Sol are played together. This goes by the wonderful name of "Tonverschmelzung" in German. It is a very distinctinctive "blending" sound. | You see that the tones share the frequencies of some of the partials. These partials will "meld" when our Do and Sol are played together. This goes by the wonderful name of "Tonverschmelzung" in German. It is a very distinctinctive "blending" sound. If our Sol was tuned to, for example, 148 Hertz, its second harmonic component would be at 296 Hertz, and the two tones played together would not "meld together" at 300 Hertz, but would "beat". That is, we would hear a throbbing sound, the "beat rate" of which is found by reckoning the distance in Hertz between the two near-coincident partials. In this case, 300-296=4 Hertz, so we'd hear a beating of four times a second (this is like a rhythm of eighth notes at a metronome marking of 120 beats per minute). | ||
One does not need to know of the harmonic series, nor even know how to read, or even count, to sing this. | One does not need to know of the harmonic series, nor even know how to read, or even count, to sing this. | ||
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There is more to it than this, of course, but the basic principles of Just Intonation are very simple. Hundreds of years ago, when the intonation of a few well-known intervals were the concern, understanding and defining "Just" was not difficult. These days, though, and going on from these basics, it can get a bit more complicated... | There is more to it than this, of course, but the basic principles of Just Intonation are very simple. Hundreds of years ago, when the intonation of a few well-known intervals were the concern, understanding and defining "Just" was not difficult. These days, though, and going on from these basics, it can get a bit more complicated... | ||
If you are used to speaking only in note names, you may need to study the relation between frequency and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitch_%28music%29|pitch]]. Kyle Gann's //[[http://www.kylegann.com/tuning.html|Just Intonation Explained]]// is one good reference. A transparent illustration and one of just intonation's acoustic bases is the [[OverToneSeries|harmonic series]]. | If you are used to speaking only in note names (e.g. the first 7 letters of the alphabet), you may need to study the relation between frequency and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitch_%28music%29|pitch]]. Kyle Gann's //[[http://www.kylegann.com/tuning.html|Just Intonation Explained]]// is one good reference. A transparent illustration and one of just intonation's acoustic bases is the [[OverToneSeries|harmonic series]]. | ||
*All manner of bells, gongs, percussion instruments, synthesizer sounds, have spectra that follow their own rules, usually very complex. Inharmonic tones can be found in otherwise harmonic spectra, and instruments with harmonic spectra may have inharmonic spectra during the attack portion of the sound. Loudly played brass instruments, for example, have a moment of extremely complex sound not unlike that of striking a piece of metal, followed by a moment in which the partials are "stretched" according to a more complex rule than simply multiplying by, 1, 2, 3, etc., before settling down into a harmonic series accompanied by various amounts of characteristic "noise". A breathily played flute has a large addition of inharmonic material, a "jinashi" shakuhachi flute is an excellent example of an instrument of varying harmonicity and inharmonicity. | *All manner of bells, gongs, percussion instruments, synthesizer sounds, have spectra that follow their own rules, usually very complex. Inharmonic tones can be found in otherwise harmonic spectra, and instruments with harmonic spectra may have inharmonic spectra during the attack portion of the sound. Loudly played brass instruments, for example, have a moment of extremely complex sound not unlike that of striking a piece of metal, followed by a moment in which the partials are "stretched" according to a more complex rule than simply multiplying by, 1, 2, 3, etc., before settling down into a harmonic series accompanied by various amounts of characteristic "noise". A breathily played flute has a large addition of inharmonic material, a "jinashi" shakuhachi flute is an excellent example of an instrument of varying harmonicity and inharmonicity. | ||
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&quot;Sol&quot; 150 300 450 600 750 900<br /> | &quot;Sol&quot; 150 300 450 600 750 900<br /> | ||
<br /> | <br /> | ||
You see that the tones share the frequencies of some of the partials. These partials will &quot;meld&quot; when our Do and Sol are played together. This goes by the wonderful name of &quot;Tonverschmelzung&quot; in German. It is a very distinctinctive &quot;blending&quot; sound. | You see that the tones share the frequencies of some of the partials. These partials will &quot;meld&quot; when our Do and Sol are played together. This goes by the wonderful name of &quot;Tonverschmelzung&quot; in German. It is a very distinctinctive &quot;blending&quot; sound. If our Sol was tuned to, for example, 148 Hertz, its second harmonic component would be at 296 Hertz, and the two tones played together would not &quot;meld together&quot; at 300 Hertz, but would &quot;beat&quot;. That is, we would hear a throbbing sound, the &quot;beat rate&quot; of which is found by reckoning the distance in Hertz between the two near-coincident partials. In this case, 300-296=4 Hertz, so we'd hear a beating of four times a second (this is like a rhythm of eighth notes at a metronome marking of 120 beats per minute).<br /> | ||
<br /> | <br /> | ||
One does not need to know of the harmonic series, nor even know how to read, or even count, to sing this.<br /> | One does not need to know of the harmonic series, nor even know how to read, or even count, to sing this.<br /> | ||
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There is more to it than this, of course, but the basic principles of Just Intonation are very simple. Hundreds of years ago, when the intonation of a few well-known intervals were the concern, understanding and defining &quot;Just&quot; was not difficult. These days, though, and going on from these basics, it can get a bit more complicated...<br /> | There is more to it than this, of course, but the basic principles of Just Intonation are very simple. Hundreds of years ago, when the intonation of a few well-known intervals were the concern, understanding and defining &quot;Just&quot; was not difficult. These days, though, and going on from these basics, it can get a bit more complicated...<br /> | ||
<br /> | <br /> | ||
If you are used to speaking only in note names, you may need to study the relation between frequency and <a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitch_%28music%29" rel="nofollow">pitch</a>. Kyle Gann's <em><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.kylegann.com/tuning.html" rel="nofollow">Just Intonation Explained</a></em> is one good reference. A transparent illustration and one of just intonation's acoustic bases is the <a class="wiki_link" href="/OverToneSeries">harmonic series</a>.<br /> | If you are used to speaking only in note names (e.g. the first 7 letters of the alphabet), you may need to study the relation between frequency and <a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitch_%28music%29" rel="nofollow">pitch</a>. Kyle Gann's <em><a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.kylegann.com/tuning.html" rel="nofollow">Just Intonation Explained</a></em> is one good reference. A transparent illustration and one of just intonation's acoustic bases is the <a class="wiki_link" href="/OverToneSeries">harmonic series</a>.<br /> | ||
<br /> | <br /> | ||
*All manner of bells, gongs, percussion instruments, synthesizer sounds, have spectra that follow their own rules, usually very complex. Inharmonic tones can be found in otherwise harmonic spectra, and instruments with harmonic spectra may have inharmonic spectra during the attack portion of the sound. Loudly played brass instruments, for example, have a moment of extremely complex sound not unlike that of striking a piece of metal, followed by a moment in which the partials are &quot;stretched&quot; according to a more complex rule than simply multiplying by, 1, 2, 3, etc., before settling down into a harmonic series accompanied by various amounts of characteristic &quot;noise&quot;. A breathily played flute has a large addition of inharmonic material, a &quot;jinashi&quot; shakuhachi flute is an excellent example of an instrument of varying harmonicity and inharmonicity.<br /> | *All manner of bells, gongs, percussion instruments, synthesizer sounds, have spectra that follow their own rules, usually very complex. Inharmonic tones can be found in otherwise harmonic spectra, and instruments with harmonic spectra may have inharmonic spectra during the attack portion of the sound. Loudly played brass instruments, for example, have a moment of extremely complex sound not unlike that of striking a piece of metal, followed by a moment in which the partials are &quot;stretched&quot; according to a more complex rule than simply multiplying by, 1, 2, 3, etc., before settling down into a harmonic series accompanied by various amounts of characteristic &quot;noise&quot;. A breathily played flute has a large addition of inharmonic material, a &quot;jinashi&quot; shakuhachi flute is an excellent example of an instrument of varying harmonicity and inharmonicity.<br /> | ||