Klarinet Archive - Posting 000572.txt from 2004/11

From: "Keith" <100012.1302@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] RE: klarinet Digest 19 Nov 2004 21:15:00 -0000 Issue 5658
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2004 17:40:28 -0500

Joe - yes exactly, but this is no more than a guess, supposition or
hypothesis (take your pick). I have no evidence for it but offer it as
something to be tested.

I had not thought about lowering the minor to make it "more minor" but that
is another interesting "logical guess". How about testing it in your choir?
Otherwise, Kammermusik in February!

Eskelin claims that in his choir (the LA Jazz Choir) he can get singers on
the third parts to "lock in" to beat-free thirds when sliding from the major
to the minor. It would be interesting to hear other choirs' experience. Or
other instruments with fully flexible tuning such as strings.

In the baroque period, singer used to be trained by use of the monochord, (a
sort of one-string fretless guitar), using harmonics. That is, Pythagorean
beat-free tuning. I wonder how different Monteverdi (say) sounds when sung
with pure thirds rather than "sharp" thirds? This was also the period when
tonality and the major-minor system was developing.

Keith

> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2004 15:34:52 +0000
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> From: Joe Fasel <jhf@-----.gov>
> Subject: Re: [kl] RE: pitch standard
> Message-Id: <1100878492l.15683l.1l@-----.gov>
>
> So you're saying that in a major triad the third is raised to
> make the chord unambiguously major? That makes a certain
> amount of sense, since pure major and minor thirds differ by
> only 71 cents. Does the third in a minor triad tend to be lowered?
>
> --Joe
>
> On 2004.11.19 07:21, Keith wrote:
> > Ratios are not the whole story. Joe Fasel has pointed out
> that choirs
> > ten=
> d
> > to sharpen thirds. According to Eskelin, this is only in a
> triad, ie
> > when the fifth is also sounding, and when the third is sung on its
> > own, the interval is sung close to the "pure" 4:5 ratio to
> eliminate
> > beats. Do you have this experience also? It may be emphasis of the
> > major character of t=
> he
> > chord, but this is speculation and needs research on perception.=20
>
> Joseph H. Fasel, Ph.D. email: jhf@-----.gov
> Systems Planning and Analysis phone: +1 505 667 7158
> University of California fax: +1 505 667 2960
> Los Alamos National Laboratory post: D-2 MS F609;
> Los Alamos, NM 8=
> 7545
>

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