Overtone scale: Difference between revisions

Inthar (talk | contribs)
Inthar (talk | contribs)
Line 146: Line 146:


===Over-p scales===
===Over-p scales===
[[Zhea Erose]] has considered over-p scales where p is a prime, which she calls ''primodal scales''. To construct a primodal scale, we fix a prime p to be the denominator and take intervals of the form n/p, where n ≥ p. Zhea often takes n to range over a certain "lineal segment" (a segment of the harmonic series spanning an octave counting from p) or a subset thereof. If we use all n between p and 2p (inclusive), this would result in a scale 1/1, (p+1)/p, (p+2)/p, .... We may add a 3/2 to the scale root, which corresponds to adding 3p/p.
[[Zhea Erose]] has considered over-p scales where p is a prime, which she calls ''primodal scales''. To construct a primodal scale, we fix a prime p to be the denominator and take intervals of the form n/p, where n ≥ p. Zhea often takes n to range over a certain "lineal segment" (a segment of the harmonic series spanning an octave starting from mp where m is an integer) or a subset thereof. For example, if we use all n between p and 2p (inclusive), this would result in a scale 1/1, (p+1)/p, (p+2)/p, .... We may add a 3/2 to the scale root, which corresponds to adding 3p/p.


Primodality seems designed to emphasize the identity of the "tonic" as the pth harmonic; this may help in hearing higher primes such as 17, 19, and 23 which may be difficult to hear otherwise as the overtone of some fundamental.
Primodality seems designed to emphasize the identity of the "tonic" as the pth harmonic; this may help in hearing higher primes such as 17, 19, and 23 which may be difficult to hear otherwise as the overtone of some fundamental.