Klarinet Archive - Posting 001014.txt from 1998/05

From: Neil Leupold <nleupold@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Solfege - 12 tone and what not.
Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 01:27:38 -0400

On Sun, 17 May 1998, Shouryu Nohe wrote:

> the Eastman system is a generally accepted counting system
> (my preference), even though not everyone uses it. Yet it will break down
> far easier than the movable do solfege system if you toss something funny
> at it.

How is the number system -- be it moveable or fixed -- more fragile
than a syllable system? The syllables themselves can be confusing
because they change depending on which direction you're singing in.
With numbers, the "syllable" is constant no matter what -- it will
always be a number between 1 and 12 (inclusive), whether the music
is tonal, modal, 12-tone, or atonal. Throw a tone row or set theory
at it -- the number system is perfectly robust. Personally, I like
the syllables better, but I can't explain why in objective terms.
I think my brain is simply more comfortable with words than numbers.
But perhaps you can offer an objective reason about how the number
system is more prone to "break down" when something funny is thrown
at it, as opposed to conventional solfege. No flame intended. I
think maybe there's an element to this that I've not yet noticed.

Neil

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