User:Nick Vuci
Intro
Hi! I'm an amateur composer from Toronto, Canada. I discovered microtonality when I was 16 in 2006/7 when my composition instructor showed me the harmonic series justification for common practice harmony ala Rameau, which led me to discover Harry Partch and the old Yahoo mail lists (mostly MMM and Tuning) which I occasionally lurked until they ended. The main tunings I focus on are the Harmonic Series, 24-EDO, 22-EDO, 16-EDO, and world scales, and my main inspirations and influences are the standard Western repertoire (especially Palestrina, Buxtehude, Bach, Mozart, and Chopin), Harry Partch, and my more minor influences are Disney music, Balkan folk music, and First Nations drumming (especially Cree and Ojibwe). Though I was trained in violin and piano, I've also spent time studying the erhu and making instruments for the purposes of microtonal composition. Currently I exclusively play retuned electronic keyboards.
Music
Harmonic Series
My most commonly used system is Mode 32 of the Harmonic Series, as it provides a good approximation of 12-EDO as well as being a conceptually simple and powerful overtone scale. As such it has been the most common tuning of my keyboard for many years.
Trio for 12-EDO Bass, Guitar, and Harmonic Series Keyboard
This is the earliest music file I can currently find and it dates from 2016. It was written as a mock up for two of my friends with the intention that we would play it together (them on guitar and bass and me on keyboard tuned to Mode 32). However due to conflicting personal obligations (mostly from me) it was never played live.
Harmonic Series Soundbath
This work arose from my own desires as a listener. I wanted a minimalistic piece that I could listen to over and over again but which would change a bit each time. Since I'm not smart enough to make one of those ever-changing algorithmic compositions I settled with a fairly simple concept: a series of short pieces that flow into each other, the order of which can be changed randomly without losing any cohesion. The pieces are all organized in an AB form reminiscent of a prelude and fugue with an improvisatory section followed by a strict section, with both sections focusing on the same basic motif. I often put this work on shuffle and repeat and just chill with it in the background. It can be heard on Spotify or Apple Music, among other streaming platforms.
Works in my favourite scale
My favourite scale is something that I've come to call the 4567 Cross-Set Scale. It's essentially a 4:5:6:7 chord built on each note of a 4:5:6:7 chord. Here are some pieces in this scale:
Random Harmonic Series pieces
16-EDO
The majority of music I've made in 16-EDO is in the Mavila[7] scale, and also uses a 16NEJI/128 instead of just 16-EDO. However, I do have one piece that is purely based on 16-EDO with no reference to Mavila at all. It's the following EDM piece, which is actually based on a tone row that uses all pitches AND all intervals of 16-EDO.
Mavila
Modal Studies
Here are 7 studies in each mode of Mavila[7]. The studies are each composed of a melody with triadic accompaniment.
Mavila EDM Experiments
I'm not really into EDM or dubstep, but one time I was doing regular long drives with someone who listened to dubstep and it rubbed off on me leading to these 4 tracks being made. I never really did any mixing or mastering before this, and it's something I still need to work on if I ever pursue this type of music again. (It's worth noting that these pieces have been retuned to a 16neji /128, which is practically the same as 16edo but is emotionally appealing to the JI purist deep inside me.)
16-EDO Piano Works
22-EDO
Chorales
Preludes
24-EDO
Piano Miniatures
This set of short piano pieces is dedicated to my friend Reza Shaffaf. The fourth piece is a reworking of the last movement of my microtonal trio sonata.
Assorted 24-EDO Pieces
World Scales
These scales come from many places: some are from the Scala Scale Archive, some from Sevish's scale packs, some from random places on the web. What's the same between all of them is that I make music with them from a classical western perspective, and do not try to mimic or emulate any other culture's musical idioms and characteristics.
Ancient Greek Scales
Yugo Bagpipe Scale
String Quartet in Ozan Yarman's JI 'Maqam Hijaz' Scale
DISCLAIMER: this isn't in 'Maqam Hijaz' in a traditional sense. It's a thoroughly Western piece in a JI interpretation of Maqam Hijaz by Ozan Yarman (Which can be found in Sevish's "World Scales" pack). The third movement borrows a Hijaz theme from "Midnight Sun" by Hossein Behroozinia (which is in Dastgah Hoomayoon, Hijaz being a 'melody' of Dastgah Hoomayoon).
Pieces in Assorted Tunings
Microtonal Gymnopédies
I noticed that lots of people seemed to find that Erik Satie's famous "Gymnopédies" suitable for microtonal retuning and arrangement. This inspired me to study the 3 pieces Satie wrote, analyze the form, and craft my own set following his lead.
Assorted pieces
This is where I put pieces that are in tunings I don't use often and have a hard time categorizing on this page.
Universal Solfege
| Interval | Class | Subcategory | Cent Range | Solfege | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unison | 0 | A | a | ||
| Comma | 0-30 | O | ɒ | ||
| Dieses | 30-60 | Ee | i | ||
| Second | Minor | Small | 60-80 | Sais | saɪs |
| Middle | 80-100 | Sai | saɪ | ||
| Large | 100-125 | Sail | saɪl | ||
| Neutral | Small | 125-135 | Soos | sus | |
| Middle | 135-160 | Soo | su | ||
| Large | 160-170 | Sool | sul | ||
| Equable Heptatonic | 160-182 | Ha | ha | ||
| Major | Small | 180-200 | Says | seɪs | |
| Middle | 200-220 | Say | seɪ | ||
| Large | 220-240 | Sayl | seɪl | ||
| Semifourth (Interseptimal Maj2-min3) | 240-260 | Fe | fɛ | ||
| Thirds | Minor | Small | 260-280 | Thais | θaɪs |
| Middle | 280-300 | Thai | θaɪ | ||
| Large | 300-330 | Thail | θaɪl | ||
| Neutral | Small | 330-342 | Thoos | θus | |
| Middle | 342-360 | Thoo | θu | ||
| Large | 360-372 | Thool | θul | ||
| Major | Small | 372-400 | Thays | θeɪs | |
| Middle | 400-423 | Thay | θeɪ | ||
| Large | 423-440 | Thayl | θeɪl | ||
| Semisixth (Interseptimal Maj3-4) | 440-468 | Ke | kɛ | ||
| Fourths | Small | 468-491 | Fos | fɔs | |
| Middle | 491-505 | Fo | fɔ | ||
| Large | 505-528 | Fol | fɔl | ||
| Superfourths | 528-560 | Foo | fu | ||
| Tritones | Small | 560-577 | Trais | traɪs | |
| Middle | 577-623 | Trai | traɪ | ||
| Large | 623-640 | Trail | traɪl | ||
| Subfifths | 640-672 | Fu | fʌ | ||
| Fifths | Small | 640-695 | Fis | fɪs | |
| Middle | 695-709 | Fim | fɪ | ||
| Large | 709-732 | Fil | fɪl | ||
| Semitenth (Interseptimal 5-min6) | 732-760 | Te | tɛ | ||
| Sixths | Minor | Small | 760-777 | Kais | kaɪs |
| Middle | 777-800 | Kai | kaɪ | ||
| Large | 800-828 | Kail | kaɪl | ||
| Neutral | Small | 828-840 | Koos | kus | |
| Middle | 840-858 | Koo | ku | ||
| Large | 858-870 | Kool | kul | ||
| Major | Small | 870-900 | Kays | keɪs | |
| Middle | 900-920 | Kay | keɪ | ||
| Large | 920-940 | Kayl | keɪl | ||
| (Semitwelfth Interseptimal Maj6-min7) | 940-960 | Twe | twɛ | ||
| Sevenths | Minor | Small | 960-987 | Vais | vaɪs |
| Middle | 987-1000 | Vai | vaɪ | ||
| Large | 1000-1025 | Vail | vaɪl | ||
| Equable heptatonic | 1018-1040 | Ho | hɒ | ||
| Neutral | Small | 1030-1043 | Voos | vus | |
| Middle | 1043-1065 | Voo | vu | ||
| Large | 1065-1075 | Vool | vul | ||
| Major | Small | 1075-1100 | Vays | veɪs | |
| Middle | 1100-1120 | Vay | veɪ | ||
| Large | 1120-1140 | Vayl | veɪl | ||
| Octave less diesis | 1140-1170 | Dee | di | ||
| Octave less comma | 1170-1200 | Co | kɒ | ||
| Octave | 1200 | A | a | ||