Step ratio: Difference between revisions

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~~The melodic sound~~ of a [[MOS]] is not just affected by the tuning of its intervals, but by the sizes of its steps. ~~MOSes with L more similar~~ to ~~s can~~ sound smoother/softer/more mellow. ~~MOSes with L much~~ larger than ~~s can~~ sound jagged/dramatic/sparkly. ~~For extreme tunings~~, the step pattern of the MOS will become increasingly ambiguous; this is as much a feature as a bug - it depends on your intent. The '''step ratio''' or '''hardness''', the ratio between the sizes of L and s, is thus important to the sound of the scale~~. The step ratio has also been called '''Blackwood's R''', after Easley Blackwood who described it for diatonic mosses and referred to this ratio as R~~.

In the context of scales described using whole-number step sizes, a '''step ratio''' is a ratio of a scale's step sizes, where the values are listed in decreasing order of size. For a [[MOS scale|moment-of-symmetry]] scale, this is denoted in the general form of L:s. This is also called '''Blackwood's R''', after Easley Blackwood who described it for diatonic mosses and referred to this ratio as R.

The melodic sound of a MOS scale is not just affected by the tuning of its intervals, but by the sizes of its steps. Step ratios whose large and small step are close to equal to one another may sound smoother, softer, or more mellow. In contrast, step ratios whose large step is significantly larger than the small step may sound jagged, dramatic, or sparkly.

At the extremes are step ratios whose large and small steps either equal to one another, or where the small step "collapses" to zero. At this point, the step pattern of the MOS scale will become increasingly ambiguous; this is as much a feature as a bug - it depends on your intent. The '''step ratio''' or '''hardness''', the ratio between the sizes of L and s, is thus important to the sound of the scale.

== Relative interval sizes ==

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-The melodic sound of a [[MOS]] is not just affected by the tuning of its intervals, but by the sizes of its steps. MOSes with L more similar to s can sound smoother/softer/more mellow. MOSes with L much larger than s can sound jagged/dramatic/sparkly. For extreme tunings, the step pattern of the MOS will become increasingly ambiguous; this is as much a feature as a bug - it depends on your intent. The '''step ratio''' or '''hardness''', the ratio between the sizes of L and s, is thus important to the sound of the scale. The step ratio has also been called '''Blackwood's R''', after Easley Blackwood who described it for diatonic mosses and referred to this ratio as R.
+In the context of scales described using whole-number step sizes, a '''step ratio''' is a ratio of a scale's step sizes, where the values are listed in decreasing order of size. For a [[MOS scale|moment-of-symmetry]] scale, this is denoted in the general form of L:s. This is also called '''Blackwood's R''', after Easley Blackwood who described it for diatonic mosses and referred to this ratio as R.
+The melodic sound of a MOS scale is not just affected by the tuning of its intervals, but by the sizes of its steps. Step ratios whose large and small step are close to equal to one another may sound smoother, softer, or more mellow. In contrast, step ratios whose large step is significantly larger than the small step may sound jagged, dramatic, or sparkly.
+At the extremes are step ratios whose large and small steps either equal to one another, or where the small step "collapses" to zero. At this point, the step pattern of the MOS scale will become increasingly ambiguous; this is as much a feature as a bug - it depends on your intent. The '''step ratio''' or '''hardness''', the ratio between the sizes of L and s, is thus important to the sound of the scale.
 == Relative interval sizes ==