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astroid-ratio etude #1
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StoreTags: figured, fucking, i, it, out
Author: astroid on September 13 2006
--> this short little song, kept simple so as to highlight the ideas, has tones which are determined by the ratios of the frequencies, not some stupid logarithmic 12th root of 2 formula. you may not be able to hear the difference in the first four chords, but it gets more obvious as the piece develops.

it was rendered on my g2 all one pass.

the process for composing was a little convoluted:

each oscillator has a "central tone" equal to 1:1. there's one pitch modulator which multiplies the numerator, and one which multiplies the denominator, so each midi lane in protools had to have two notes for one tone, centered around c3 (corresponding to 1:1). this level of complexity insured that i'd go for simple things first.

i was tempted to do some pieces which rendered the ratio chords next to the 12-tet chords, but i thought that might be pedantic, even for me.

i'm sure i'll have to explain what the fuck i'm talking about, so here's a head start:

the notes on our piano approximate the vibrations in a harmonic series, but not exactly. in the interest of modulation, all the rage from 1600-1960, the natural system of overtones was gradually forced into a geometric shape which is highly abstract from nature. the natural series uses the simplest of fractions, and the modulatory system uses a logarithm. the reason was simplicity in instrument building-it's easier to use 12 equidistant notes than it is to worry about what ratio one pitch has from another-and what that means for harmony.

composers started to chip away at this over the years by adding more notes to the symmetrical scale-19, 31, 72, 171 notes were some of the favorites. all of these scales are still approximations. if you have heard a barbershop quartet, a really good one, and maybe have tried to copy the chords on a guitar or piano, you'll have noticed that the chords don't "buzz" right-that's because the singers will tend to correct their pitch to the ratios.

so for this, the system was set up, and then i composed by ear. it's possible to get much more subtlety from the system, but i've only used it for a couple days. i think eventually, the 12tet system will fall by the wayside, and composers will learn to use this.
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Comments

1 | 2 | 3 | 4
09/13/06 +  Roshi
You need to check out Glenn Branca's Symphony No 3 - music for the first 127 intervals of the harmonic series if you haven't. link It is firking amazing, IMO.

I liked this - it definitely highlights how western tuning has diverged from the harmonic series.
Recent blogs: Summer Reading - The rest is noise, oogazer set, Origins of Butterzone?  

09/13/06 +  astroid
that's my favorite branca piece, by far. yah!
Recent blogs: it WAS my birthday yesterday, wetf, 2 new things in my life  

09/13/06 +  jdg
thx professor. now lets hear something good.
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09/13/06 +  astroid
i only wish there were some interviews talking about how he composed that piece and had the bastard performed!
Recent blogs: it WAS my birthday yesterday, wetf, 2 new things in my life  

09/13/06 +  jdg
im kidding. sounds like comb filtres.. or a karplus plucker
Recent blogs: cmj loves fredo, What is your favorite track that you've made?, joebacca  

09/13/06 +  astroid
it's the string osc in the g2-pretty sure they're karpluss
Recent blogs: it WAS my birthday yesterday, wetf, 2 new things in my life  

09/13/06 +  Roshi
My understanding was he had some specialty instruments built that would generate the harmonics. I was kind of thinking it would be awesome to have a 40 piece glass harmonica symphony do something similar.

I really wish there was more pictures or videos.
Recent blogs: Summer Reading - The rest is noise, oogazer set, Origins of Butterzone?  

09/13/06 +  jdg
i like the quality of the looow notes. thats what sounds like it.

i wonder if alex strong is mad its not called the Strong-Karplus algo
Recent blogs: cmj loves fredo, What is your favorite track that you've made?, joebacca  
09/13/06 +  SoMuch
oh ive been blocked for rap e

dop e!

so, hey scotty. what are the rhythmic reasons here?

09/13/06 +  Squeal
I think your organ is out of tune....
Recent blogs: Take this job (school) and SHOVE IT  

09/13/06 +  astroid
Roshi said: "My understanding was he had some specialty instruments built that would generate the harmonics. I was kind of thinking it would be awesome to have a 40 piece glass harmonica symphony do something similar.
"


they're actually guitar strings attached to 2X4's and amplified. lol. i can't tell wtf they are.
Recent blogs: it WAS my birthday yesterday, wetf, 2 new things in my life  

09/13/06 +  astroid
so much: no metric thinking. i'm gonna make more etudes.

squeal: i think your face is out of tune.
Recent blogs: it WAS my birthday yesterday, wetf, 2 new things in my life  

09/13/06 +  SoMuch
lol out of tune face

tunaface

09/13/06 +  andonuts
Arrrghh...this is Roshi. I guess I got banned too.

There was some special way they played the strings - it wasn't a bow or a pluck or something like that.

edited: Sep 13 2006 +  astroid
"small sticks or mallets"

i loved that piece because it sounded so sick and bad to me upon first hearing. my ear went "ewwwwww" and then i had to love it. it was my first exposure to non-symetrical tuning.
Recent blogs: it WAS my birthday yesterday, wetf, 2 new things in my life  

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