Whynotmicrotonality: Difference between revisions

: This revision was by author [[User:igliashon|igliashon]] and made on <tt>2012-12-16 23:12:23 UTC</tt>.<br>

: The original revision id was <tt>392843948</tt>.<br>

...If you start with unreasonable expectations. Such as the expectation that refining one's control of intonation will "automatically" reveal "new compositional approaches" or allow one to "lead a revolution". //&lt;span style="color: #ff0000;"&gt;(Can you blame someone for such unreasonable expectations, given the shameless puff-pieces such as those linked at the bottom of this page? Where are the articles detailing the benefits one can reasonably hope to gain from microtonality?)&lt;/span&gt;//

This would follow from evidence that people can't distinguish ETs, not from the evidence claimed, which is that people can't **identify** ETs. //&lt;span style="color: #fe0606;"&gt;(Re-read the article; it was originally claimed that indeed, people can't **distinguish** ETs, let alone identify them.)&lt;/span&gt;// Many music fans can't identify scales or functional progressions in 12-ET, either. Is this an argument that all music could be I-V-I in 12-ET and it would make no difference? //&lt;span style="color: #ff0000;"&gt;(Actually, people can be trained to identify and distinguish between scales and functional progressions in 12-ET much more reliably than they can be taught to identify or distinguish between ETs).&lt;/span&gt;//

Music isn't for talking. Plenty of musicians visit microtonal forums to share recordings -- what else? Theory works with talking, but theory isn't music and there's only so much of two subjects a person can master. At least one artist did manage to understand and prolifically apply all major xenharmonic theory concepts though: Chuckles McGee. Other theory-heavy successes include Kraig Grady, Marcus Hobbs, Ben Johnston, and Harry Partch. And serious theorists like Graham Breed have produced very listenable tracks.

//&lt;span style="color: #ff0000;"&gt;(Missed the point that it is not theory per se, but active involvement in the community that is detrimental to one's music-making. Precisely because of the reasons you state--there's only so much of two subjects a person can master).&lt;/span&gt;//

It's generally acknowledged that anyone hoping to achieve commercial success with music in today's climate is facing an uphill battle, and that this goes double for anyone walking off the beaten path. &lt;span style="color: #ff0000;"&gt;//(Yet why should it be, if microtonality offers distinct advantages over playing in 12-ET?)//&lt;/span&gt;

Also probably true but it is not **so much better** than alternatives as to warrant **exclusive use**. //&lt;span style="color: #ff0000;"&gt;(Which is no contention against the claim that these alternatives can hope at best to be no worse than 12-ET, and hardly a persuasive argument in favor of their use.)&lt;/span&gt;//

  &lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="color: #ff0000;"&gt;(with responses by the original author in red italic)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;

&lt;br /&gt;

...If you start with unreasonable expectations. Such as the expectation that refining one's control of intonation will &amp;quot;automatically&amp;quot; reveal &amp;quot;new compositional approaches&amp;quot; or allow one to &amp;quot;lead a revolution&amp;quot;. &lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="color: #ff0000;"&gt;(Can you blame someone for such unreasonable expectations, given the shameless puff-pieces such as those linked at the bottom of this page? Where are the articles detailing the benefits one can reasonably hope to gain from microtonality?)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;

This would follow from evidence that people can't distinguish ETs, not from the evidence claimed, which is that people can't &lt;strong&gt;identify&lt;/strong&gt; ETs. &lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="color: #fe0606;"&gt;(Re-read the article; it was originally claimed that indeed, people can't &lt;strong&gt;distinguish&lt;/strong&gt; ETs, let alone identify them.)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt; Many music fans can't identify scales or functional progressions in 12-ET, either. Is this an argument that all music could be I-V-I in 12-ET and it would make no difference? &lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="color: #ff0000;"&gt;(Actually, people can be trained to identify and distinguish between scales and functional progressions in 12-ET much more reliably than they can be taught to identify or distinguish between ETs).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;

Music isn't for talking. Plenty of musicians visit microtonal forums to share recordings -- what else? Theory works with talking, but theory isn't music and there's only so much of two subjects a person can master. At least one artist did manage to understand and prolifically apply all major xenharmonic theory concepts though: Chuckles McGee. Other theory-heavy successes include Kraig Grady, Marcus Hobbs, Ben Johnston, and Harry Partch. And serious theorists like Graham Breed have produced very listenable tracks.&lt;br /&gt;

&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="color: #ff0000;"&gt;(Missed the point that it is not theory per se, but active involvement in the community that is detrimental to one's music-making. Precisely because of the reasons you state--there's only so much of two subjects a person can master).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;

It's generally acknowledged that anyone hoping to achieve commercial success with music in today's climate is facing an uphill battle, and that this goes double for anyone walking off the beaten path. &lt;span style="color: #ff0000;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;(Yet why should it be, if microtonality offers distinct advantages over playing in 12-ET?)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;

Also probably true but it is not &lt;strong&gt;so much better&lt;/strong&gt; than alternatives as to warrant &lt;strong&gt;exclusive use&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="color: #ff0000;"&gt;(Which is no contention against the claim that these alternatives can hope at best to be no worse than 12-ET, and hardly a persuasive argument in favor of their use.)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;