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1 - 16 Harmonics

Short work for string quartet in just intonation. This work uses 17-limit just intonation (although no 13s are present) and the ratios are annotated in the score.

The sounds are from Note Performer (an orchestral instrument library available for use with Sibelius Software) and the microtonal adjustments were made using the pitch bend feature inside of Sibelius.

View the score on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DgKdx3kjBw

Etude for String Quartet in Just Intonation No. 1

Elodie Lauten passed away yesterday. I am dedicating this to her.

http://youtu.be/3IoWvCUGPgU

Music for Interference Patterns (2014)

Recorded 2 February 2014. Semi-dronal improvisation on cluster chords which often closely approximate just otonalities in (mainly) the 13-limit.

One of my first recordings to showcase 50EDO's wonderful shimmering quality in the more complex ratios. Both neutral tones as well as the lesser minor third see a lot of use in moving between 3, 11 and 13 identities.

Harmonic Clusters on 50EDO Harpsichord (Bosanquet Axis through Pianoteq)

The Folklore Guild
Lay a Garland (1840)
by Robert Lucas Pearsall (1795-1856)

Conducted by Ruben "Hypodorian" Valenzuela of Bach Collegium San Diego

Lay a garland on her hearse
of dismal yew.
Maidens, willow branches wear,
say she died true.
Her love was false, but she was firm
Upon her buried body lie
lightly, thou gentle earth.

Recorded at Saint Martin of Tours Catholic Church in La Mesa, California. Cover photo Romantic Landscape by Thomas Cole (1801- 1848)

Lay a Garland - Robert Lucas Pearsall

OUIA (20') 

Jun Cho, piano (scordatura)
Ling Ling Huang, violin (scordatura)
Max Geissler, cello (scordatura)

Otonal/Utonal tuning


OUIA - trio for pno/vln/vlc (extended just intonation tuning)

The third of movement of 'Three Pieces for Electric Kantele in Just Intonation' (2009). Emma Kuntsi at her graduation recital, Sibelius Academy, Finland, Apr 23, 2016. Special kantele with the following 21 pitch classes (1/1 = C): 1/1, 25/24, 27/25, 9/8, 75/64, 6/5, 5/4, 32/25, 125/96, 4/3, 25/18, 36/25, 3/2, 25/16, 8/5, 5/3, 125/72, 9/5, 15/8, 48/25, 125/64. Fifth-tones ('diesis') abound, and septimal intervals, such as 7:4 and 7:6, are approximated by 5-limit intervals, making use of the 225/224 comma. 

Suloinen Diesis (balladi) [Sweet Diesis (a Ballade)]

This track is an example of a simple twelve bar backing track accompanying a solo melody written in free Just Intonation (JI).

JI allows access to all the frequencies, not just the ones on the piano keyboard or guitar frets. Often musicians when playing the blues, jazz, or guitar solos, bend the string to produce a higher pitch. In this track, there are no 'bent' notes, only precisely specified notes which are often noticeably different to the standard notes from 12-EDO.

Some devices used include:
- No scale - only addressing frequencies (in Hz) directly via whole numbers. E.g. 4, 5, 6 multiplied by 60 Hz would give 240Hz, 300Hz, 360Hz directly.
- Descending harmonic series, e.g. 32, 31, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16
- What sounds like vibrato, but is actually a combination of holding and sliding pitches several times a beat
- Rapid switching of frequency several times a beat, this is a common chip tune device.
- Descending shifting triads, e.g. 61, 54, 47, 56, 49, 42, 51, 44, 37, 46, 39, 32...

Just Intonation is the future for those of us who like both maths and music! I understand that not everyone wants numbers in their music composition. However, that's fundamentally what frequencies are, thats what harmony is, a combination of whole numbers. And you get more interesting results when using the numbers for what they are, which is unique chords well outside of traditional harmony. I am particularly enjoying the sound of the prime numbers 11, 13, 23, 29, 31, 41, 43 and 61 in this composition.

May the prime numbers be with you! Enjoy - Dave

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See also:
- https://arxiv.org/a/ryan_d_1 (arXiv) for a list of my academic paper pre-prints, including my writing on music theory and Just Intonation
- http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4785-9766 (ORC ID) for my academic profile
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidryan59 for my LinkedIn profile

Example of the Twelve Bar Blues with crazy Solo in Just Intonation

Air on the G String generated with pythogoras using 3 different tuning systems

Instrument synthesis used information from SHARC db

Air on the G String - Just Intonation

Musical possibilities to ignite your imagination.  What will you do with the freedom of pitch?  Composed, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Subhraag Singh using Infinitone DMT software (Greensleeves mastered by Gerhard Westphalen)

"Morphology"  --- morphed Just Intonation chords

Jude Thomas is a composer and performer in the New York City area. He composes acoustic and electronic music that uses alternate systems of tuning—especially just intonation. He is also an active barbershop harmony singer and sings with the quartet, Age of Flight and with the New York City chorus, Voices of Gotham.

most of the music is straight from tiktok.  the other music is from a friend

Etude for String Quartet in Just Intonation No. 1

Jude Thomas

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