10/05/2006

What is Microtonal Music?


Microtonal music is any music that uses a tuning other than standard twelve tone equal temperament.

Twelve tone equal temperament is the basic piano tuning that we are used to. It really works quite well, which partially explains the fact that it is the only tuning many people are aware of.

I am a restless individual, however, and am not content with the the so called norm. A lot of microtonal music is based on various historical or ethnic tunings, but I am especially intrigued by certain experimental tunings that are hardly ever used. I am currently writing a symphony in twenty-six note equal temperament, an obscure tuning with strange properties. I hope to have some links to my music soon.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yay for 26!

13 is one of my favorites, but have you noticed that a scale and its double are dramatically different?

12 and 24 have little in common energetically. One has a tendency towards high consonance, the other towards high dissonance. Likewise 11 and 22 are opposite in some ways, although both are metallic.

Anonymous said...

OK, I'm back. Here's a doodle in 26...

http://www.nonoctave.com/tunes/WalkOnTheBeach.mp3

Daniel, do you have any pieces available for listening? I'd love to hear your work.

Daniel Thompson said...

Thanks for your comments. I enjoyed your doodle in 26 tone tuning.
I don't have any pieces available yet for listening, but I hope to remedy that situation soon. I am still learning the ins and outs of internet publishing and have a lot to learn about mixing and mastering etc.
I don't know, it might be fun to post some unfinished pieces and let my visitors comment on ways to improve them.

Anonymous said...

HI!!! from Kyle!!