NEW GATEWAYS TO NON-12-TONE MUSIC
New instruments and new techniques for existing instruments have recently become practical and affordable. These will free us from the restrictions of the 12-tone equal temperament tuning system which has ruled the musical world for almost two centuries.
There are so many new ways to go beyond 12 that you might like some suggestions. Here's how:
SINGERS: For solo singing of melodies, the Pythagorean system. Can be aided by bowed-string accompaniment. For Just Intonation and Harmony: A capella chorus: form a trio or quartet. Also: There is a new technique of singing in harmonics. When you have mastered it, you can go on to singing melodies based on the overtone series. In turn this extends the value of the Just Intonation system for melody and harmony.
GUITARISTS: Guitars can be REFRETTED to a wide variety of equal and unequal temperaments. We suggest starting with the 19-tones-per-octave system, since it conforms to regular musical notation, and permits performing most of your existing repertoire. 17-tone for brilliant melodic effects; 22-tone for a different kind of harmony; 24-tone (quartertones) are obtainable while leaving the 12-tone. frets in place. While more difficult to play in, the 31-tone system offers a calm,. restful mood and permits arranging from the extensive meantone-system keyboard literature. FRETLESS guitars are possible for just intonation, and become more practical with electric guitars. The STEEL GUITAR in various forms is ideal for studying and performing Just Intonation. Bottleneck slide and similar means permit avoiding the 12-fret-per-octave limitation.
BANJOISTS: The 17-tone system is suggested for its extreme brilliance. 19-tone would also have drive.
SYNTHESIZERS: This will be one of the best ways in the near future. As matters stand, some makes and models of synthesizers are retunable to equal temperaments other than 12. Just Intonation may be more difficult to attain on most present synthesizers. For monophonic instruments, try 17 for brilliant melody; then 19, 22, 24, and 31. If your instrument is polyphonic, try 19 first. Mapping more notes per octave onto a standard keyboard is nowhere near as difficult to use as one might think.
HARPSICHORDS: A two-keyboard harpsichord with an 8' register for each keyboard is NECESSARY! Do not waste time on 12-tones-out-of-meantone or out of anything else! Special single-level keyboards for more than 12 tones/octave have been invented, and some of these patterns have been published. A number of layouts for putting xenharmonic systems onto two standard keyboards have been published also. Because of the heavy weight of tradition, the severe misunderstanding has grown up that the "wolf" is a necessary part of meantone temperament. It is merely the penalty for using only 12 of its tones! Harpsichord timbre is suitable for a number of tuning-systems, such as 19,22,and 24, and for 31-tone which is not audibly different from 1/4-comma meantone temperament.
CLAVICHORDISTS: While the clavichord is still a rare instrument today, 19-tone clavichords with a special keyboard are already in existence. The clavichord is the keyboard instrument that is flexible:pitches can be "bent" upward.
PIANISTS: The piano evolved in such a way as to help conceal defects of 12-tone temperament, and now lacks the high harmonics which define the intervals of such systems as 22-and 24-tone---this is one reason why quartertone pianos have not caught on. You cannot build your own piano at home, but you could attempt a harpsichord, a clavichord, or an electronic organ or synthesizer. There are layouts for using two pianos to obtain the 19- and 24-tone (quartertone) systems. This is expensive and awkward, and no longer necessary in this day of electronics. Redesigning the piano for more than 12 tones per octave is too expensive to take seriously anymore.
BOWED STRINGS: VIOLIN, VIOLA, VIOLONCELLO, CONTRABASS These instruments are ideal for the Pythagorean system which is based on perfect fifths. 17-tone is a good imitation of Pythagorean for brilliant melodic purposes. The violin family can play in just intonation, usually doing so in a "flexible" manner, with some pitch-bending. Some literature in the quartertone system for these. instruments already exists. Having no frets, they can follow along with refretted guitars or any other non-12-tone instruments; while it may be necessary for their players to practice new fingerings for new scales, the only real obstacles are psychological and twelve-tone "conditioning" from previous training, so all this can be overcome.
TUNED PERCUSSIONS: METALLOPHONES, MAR IMBAS, XYLOPHONES, BELLS, &C.: These instruments are ideal for the home constructor to build or modify, into almost any tuning system that can be used at all. Their special timbres permit making good use of scales that would not work so well on organs or other instruments, such as 5-tone, 7-tone, 10-, 13-, 14-, &c. Once built, they stay in tune well, which cannot be said of some stringed instruments. Try them in 10 or 14, then go on to other tunings.
ELECTRONIC ORGANS: These offer the best future for the important 31-tone system and for Just Intonation. Refer back to SYNTHESIZERS above for more hints.
ELECTRONIC TUNING DEVICES are now on the market and remove the most serious obstacle to escaping 12-tone.
*** A long list of other instruments are possible--too many to catalog here: psalteries, flutes, special harps...the sky is the limit.