Here is another experiment in microtonality. This tuning features 26 equally spaced tones to the octave instead of the more traditional 12. This is not a very common tuning, even among experimental microtonalists. Its intervals tend to be a little more dissonant than we are used to. It is, however, one of my favorite tunings. (The term temperament is a little more accurate in this case, but less known.)
This study is fairly simple. I have avoided complex harmonies and modulations. It uses a simple seven note diatonic scale. You could easily "translate" this piece into a similar piece tuned to twelve tone equal temperament. (The common scale in use today.) I don't find the translation to be effective. This tuning has its own peculiarities and suggests different ways of organising the notes. My ears find this tuning to be somewhat darker and more mysterious. I have tried to take advantage of this by using the majestic sound of a pipe organ.
I welcome your comments. I neither expect nor hope that my microtonal music will produce any sort of consistent response in my listeners. The varied responses of others are as interesting to me as my own and help me to better understand the effects of harmony, dissonance and novel musical structures.
As the title suggests, I hope that there will be at least one more organ study in this tuning that explores some of its more exotic possibilities. This tuning has enormous untapped potential. Experimentation in it is rare and it doesn't have any established tradition or set of rules to follow. There are ways of handling this tuning that don't seem to have any strong parallels to more conventional tunings. Stay tuned and you may see what I mean.
I hope you will find Organ Study #1 to be enjoyable or at least interesting.
