Definitions of tuning terms
© 1998 by Joseph L. Monzo
All definitions by Joe Monzo unless otherwise cited
octave
The
interval whose
frequency
ratio is 2/1 or
1200 cents
(¢).
The Diapason in Greek.
[from John Chalmers, Divisions of the Tetrachord]
octave-equivalence
based on the unique property of intervals that can be most easily interpreted
as the 2:1 ratio, commonly
called the "octave", that although it is a different pitch from the origin 1:1,
it seems to have the same aesthetic
affect or properties as 1:1.
Traditional music theory assumes octave-equivalence, thus the letter-names
of the notes repeat in the different "octaves".
Many tuning systems follow this approach, but not all.
Examples of tunings which
do not exhibit octave equivalence are:
Modern acoustical research yields evidence that most individuals'
perception of what is
consonant is more complex than the long-held belief
by many music-theorists and scientists that consonance is directly related
to the size of the integer
terms in the ratios and/or the size of the
prime- or
odd-number factors.
[McLaren's website will have much information
on and quotations from this research - one citation refers to an
interval of 12.15 Semitones as that most commonly perceived as a
consonant "octave".]
Johnny Reinhard wrote an interesting paper on a study he did of a song
by two Sapmi (also known as Lapp) singers of northern Scandinavia. There were
very minute but deliberate interval dissonances between them, and tiny
changes in these intervals in each of the 9 repeating verses. One of the
most prominent was a frequently-used mistuned harmonic "octave" which
ranged from about 11.90 to 12.04 Semitones.
[from Joe Monzo, JustMusic: A New Harmony]
(to download a zip file of the entire Dictionary, click here) |
|
I welcome
feedback about this webpage:
![]() ![]() ![]() |