[classical] A Piano Study in 17ET

[uncloned]

A Piano Study in 17 ET

The genesis of this piece was a piano improvisation which was recorded via midi and used a M-Audio keystation 88 es, pianoteq 3.5, and sonar 8.5.

Once recorded the improvisation was heavily edited -  mostly moving notes (not times) and removing hesitations I judged to be too long. Also the tempo was increased by two. One of the interesting aspects of this piece is that the voice leading is starting to work and I stumbled upon a real progression with resolution that occurs about 1:42. When playing this configuration the main challenge was remembering the relationships of 17 ET mapped to a 12 ET keyboard – for instance a minor 7th becomes a 5th. Many of the chord changes are abrupt since I was moving a pattern of notes in a parallel motion up and down the keyboard as a main generator of the piece. The piece has some decidedly xenharmonic passages. The compositional choices lean towards a balance of consonance and dissonance analogous to 12 ET common practice.

The MP3 is here :  http://micro.soonlabel.com/17-ET/daily20091203-piano-17et.mp3

The OGG is here : http://micro.soonlabel.com/17-ET/daily20091203-piano-17et.ogg

The score (at 8th note resolution) is here : http://micro.soonlabel.com/17-ET/daily20091203-piano-study-17et.pdf


about the song icon: Dedicated to Albert C. Woods, a man I didn't know but still owe a debt to. Thank you.

[Sam_Zen]

Listened 3 times.
Although this is 17ET, I still keep the impression that you are playing the keys like it's 12ET, iykwim..

[uncloned]

Listened 3 times.
Although this is 17ET, I still keep the impression that you are playing the keys like it's 12ET, iykwim..

I think then this was pretty successful in this sense:

Your experience of the piece was not one of "throwing" the microtonality in your face so to speak.

My goal is to work microtonality in as an extension of the harmonic and melodic language of 12 ET. I disagree with the "play all the micro notes for the sheer heck of it" school.

If you think about western music history it took about 1,000 years before Western musical thought assimilated all 12 notes into some logical usage. I see no reason why a different tuning that changes 12 notes and adds 17 others, should be assumed to be figured out so quickly. (but certainly quicker than 1,000 years of course) Just like in common usage where there are ways to set up a dissonant note and resolve it in a satisfying fashion, a new tuning will have similar rules for presenting and resolving its new dissonances.

So - did I read your comment right?

It was played on a 12-note keyboard - but the VSTi was in 17 ET. So, for instance, the distance of E up to a D sounds like a 5th. That makes it complicated to play.

[Sam_Zen]

It was played on a 12-note keyboard

This is important to know, because it confirms my impression.

It would be different playing a keyboard actually having 17 keys in an octave.
(I wonder about another b/w key layout in this case. I have no idea so far)
On my analog synth it would be no problem to tune a 17 ET.
I have 31 keys, but I can tune a range of an octave to anything within that range (or even beyond).
So in this 17 ET case, with my kb starting with a F, the octave F should be at the 18th key, so the B minus.

[uncloned]

hmm, in what sense then does this sound 12 et?

Here are some alternative keyboard systems

http://www.h-pi.com/TPX28intro.html

opal cameleon



and then there is this magic box

http://www.h-pi.com/TBX1intro.html

that turns *any* midi synth into a true microtonal instrument

- however - your analog system is pretty cool too!

[Sam_Zen]

Is this opal cameleon a 22 ET one ?

[uncloned]

Each of the keyboards can be programmed to arbitrary tunings.

There is a larger version of the opal keyboard too. I think they are made in the UK - but they are a bit pricey.

When I find the link I'll pass it along.

[uncloned]

a video of the tonal plexus

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2008/12/27/video-demos-of-the-tonal-plexus-microtonal-keyboard/

interesting acoustic piano modification

http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/fluid-piano-the-microtonal-keyboard-instrument-227433

another honeycomb design

http://www.cortex-design.com/body-default2.htm




And this is a microtonal wiki page in Dutch


http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microtonale_muziek

Here is what I was really looking for - looks like Opal is like the Axis

http://www.theshapeofmusic.com/

http://www.c-thru-music.com/cgi/?page=prod_axis-64

[uncloned]

and Elaine Walker - she's an accomplished microtonal composer in a pop / rock idiom - as well as teacher and NASA researcher.

http://www.ziaspace.com/microtonality/

[Sam_Zen]

hm. quite intriguing.. This C-Thru one uses four different colors in a specific layout.

[uncloned]

unfortunately that keyboard is some 850 euros!