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Music and Physics: What Does It Mean To Be "In Tune"?9 comments to Music and Physics: What Does It Mean To Be "In Tune"? |
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Copyright © 2010 John Hendow - All Rights Reserved |
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Music and Physics: What Does It Mean To Be "In Tune"?9 comments to Music and Physics: What Does It Mean To Be "In Tune"? |
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Copyright © 2010 John Hendow - All Rights Reserved |
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Okay, so that helps me to understand Western music, but what about Country music? You have to have Country AND Western, right?
Ha! Well, actually I bet there are some country musicians who have a great understanding of tuning notes within the key. Pedal steel players frequently make these kinds of slight tuning adjustments.
That is a lot of detail. I always wondered where the intonation system originated. How did you learn all that information?
Well, a lot of the musical history came from my education at WWU. I was particularly interested in the math behind the intonation systems, so I put together some of my own tables to prove it to myself. The formulae are not original, but I’ve adapted them a bit to make them fit into the context of my long post.
Good stuff, very nicely done.
All the best!
Thanks! I know this is probably more detail than most people want, but it’s interesting enough to me that I’m happy to delve into it.
This is cool stuff, John. Steve Kimock treated me and a friend to a lengthy explanation of his version of this on Jam Cruise a few years back. It is especially pertinent in terms of bending notes, fretless instruments and lap steel/dobro (where he was coming from). “The third of F (A) is not the same as the root of A (A)… In a broader sense, this is what makes the blue notes work.
Hey Scott! For those of you unfamiliar with Scott Law, he’s a fearsome musician with an abundance of multi-instrumental talent. And a heck of a great guy!
It makes sense that Kimock would see music from this approach. I remember reading a sidebar in GP where he explains why he deliberately does partial bends on some notes to perfectly tune the intervals. I’ve been learning fretless bass and am increasingly focused on tuning my notes to their function within chords. I may need to get with Mr. Livingston for a little guidance
Touch base next time you’re in town.
Very thorough. Takes me back to my theory classes at Cornish. You could have easily written the text book, my man.