Microtonal 9 string with Kahler trem bridge, microtonal 8 string

[All_¥our_Bass]

@ All Your Bass - I think with Scala, you can make any tuning you want as long as you can imagine it.

I do use (and abuse ) scala but what I was talking about is tuning the partials of the timbres themselves, while just tuning tried to match the notes to the partials, electronically tempered timbres match the partials to whatever you want.

So you could make your synth sound completely harmonious in 12tet by doing this, as the notes would no longer be bound by the natural harmonic series.

Here's two articles that go into this a bit.
TTSS prelude
Relating Tuning and Timbre

 

[WishIwasfinnish]

Microtonal scales are used all the time in Arabic music, especially on the fretless Oud (one of which I own) and it is pretty nice when someone good is playing it. I absolutely hate the sound of microtonal stuff in metal though, it sounds ugly and pointless to me, but hey, that's just my two cents.

 

[XeoFLCL]

M.A.N, microtonal 7 strings.

I love you for introducing me to this band. Went and got their album and absolutely loving it. Very unique and actually good use of microtonal range, as in not cheesy and actually listenable.. VERY listenable...

 

[coreysMonster]

I always thought the way that middle eastern flute players bend their notes into "wrong" sounding notes adds a very amazing sound to their music (we get a lot of arabs and such playing things like Duduks and stuff in the streets here, not to mention the music that is CONSTANTLY playing at Döner Kebap shops), and that acoustic guitar player in the video posted is one of the coolest things I've ever seen.
However, I personally don't like the way it sounds on an electric guitar (except for quarter tones, like MAN), at least not distorted. I think it takes a certain kind of context to sound good. Kinda how you can't just go throwing chromatic notes around with the western 12-note scale and call it music (no matter how much Behold the Arktopus want us to believe it )

 

[severussnape]

I could care less about hearing this stuff shredded on, but if this could be incorporated in a jazz setting then I would find that interesting.

Last fall I was in a commercial arranging and composition course, and this guy brought an instrument similar to a guitar. It wasn't a sitar, it was more of a guitar, but with microtonal frets in some areas. It sounded beautiful. The guy playing it put an Iranian poem to music that was distinctly western, but had some middle eastern flavor mixed heavily into it. The effect was amazing.

[\kBackOnTopic]

 

[NaYoN]

Wow a lot of people in the first page of the thread with their thinking this is bad. It just sounds wrong to you guys, because that's what you grew up with.

I grew up in Turkey, so all this microtonal stuff sounds right to me.

 

[Mindcrime1204]

Imagine a microtonal turkish symphony where everyone plays out of tune,

 

[7 Strings of Hate]

i can see the potential here, but its like drinking coffey or beer or something. its an aquired taste.

Parts of the guy with the acoustics's clip sound beautiful to me and others just sound out of tune and ugly, but i know its just because its new to me.

to echo others, i can see the acoustic potential, but i dont think it would translate that well to metal

that acoustic that the guy has is fucking awesome and amazing

 

[ixlramp]

16EDO theory page at xenharmonic wikispaces

 

[Variant]

But here's a question: Could you not use software to sort of "autotune" a guitar, when played, to true temperament? (Not entirely on topic, but I'm curious, with all the talk about a 12EDO system having the majority of the intervals out of tune).

We're actually doing that on some of our music using MIDI to control the pitch/samples.

 

[ixlramp]

Ron Sword, Elaine Walker and two 16EDO instruments. It's a vertical keyboard worn on a strap, played like a touchguitar.

Vertical Keyboards

 

[ProgCorey]

I could spend 3 grand on a new guitar, spend another 6 months of my time mastering it, or if i wanted 1/4 and 1/8 note intervals i could just bend the strings a little bit..

 

[JamesM]

I'll not demean those into microtonality, but I will say this:

The real world experience I have with those interested in microtonality, and those who have delved into playing such music, are those who have been frustrated by their inability to succeed in the western 12EDO and have such moved into a realm where "not being able to play" is accepted. Further browsing this community on Youtube (briefly, mind you), I see a great deal of these microtonalists, and honestly they appear to have no idea or concept of what they are doing--not to mention no apparent mastery of their instrument.

That said, there are those who clearly know what they are doing, and successfully implement these things very musically.

EDIT:
Oh, and the whole mentality of this community (I gather) reminds me of Gabe at the end of The Office's "Viewing Party" episode, when Gabe says, "I like to create soundscapes. Imagine the sound of the universe constantly expanding at once..." etc. And at the end he proceeds to play "Earthrise on the Moon" on his MicroKORG XL to the only person that would listen, Andy who is then praying to the Porcelain God.

 

[Xodus]

The real world experience I have with those interested in microtonality, and those who have delved into playing such music, are those who have been frustrated by their inability to succeed in the western 12EDO and have such moved into a realm where "not being able to play" is accepted. Further browsing this community on Youtube (briefly, mind you), I see a great deal of these microtonalists, and honestly they appear to have no idea or concept of what they are doing--not to mention no apparent mastery of their instrument.

All these arguments can be directly applied to most 12EDO musicians. Do you really understand microtonal music, or does it just appear to you as nonsense?

(Not trying to start shit but I can't phrase this any better)

 

[Xodus]

Double post

 

[JamesM]

All these arguments can be directly applied to most 12EDO musicians. Do you really understand microtonal music, or does it just appear to you as nonsense?

(Not trying to start shit but I can't phrase this any better)

No stress man, I know what you're trying convey.

I never said anything about microtonal music being nonsense.

Quite the contrary, I said that "there are those who clearly know what they are doing, and successfully implement these things very musically." I was actually discussing my experiences and opinions with a group (however large) within the microtonal music community.

 

[Xodus]

I never said anything about microtonal music being nonsense. .

I was implying that you might find that many microtonal players have no idea what they are doing because you don't like/understand microtonal music, but I see what you were saying now.