User Manual

83
Contemporary Tunings
Equal tempered scales with a large number
of tones are typically used to play common
tonal harmony with greater purity of intervals
and chords. The typical approach is to analyze
a passage (or less) of music and select tones
from a scale that will best approximate the
desired pure intervals.
19 Tone: This scale has greater purity of minor
thirds and major thirds (and conversely,
minor and major sixths) than twelve-tone
equal temperament. A disadvantage is that
perfect fifths are narrower than those found in
twelve-tone equal temperament.
24 Tone: Also know as the quarter tone
scale, this scale is used for variety but has
no advantage in terms of ratios that better
approximate pure intervals.
31 Tone: In addition to intervals that better
approximate pure intervals, this scale also
contains good approximations to Indonesian
pelog and slendro scales.
53 Tone: Related mathematically to the cycle
of fifths, the 53-tone scale has very pure major
and minor thirds, and fifths and fourths.
Partch: Harry Partch is considered the
father of modern microtonality. This scale
was devised by him and used in instrument
building and performances.
Carlos Alpha: Wendy Carlos performed
extensive computer analysis to devise a
number of equal tempered scales with good
approximations for the primary harmonic
intervals and their inversions. This scale is
good at approximating the primary intervals
including 7/4. This scale divides the octave into
15.385 steps forming intervals of 78.0 cents.
Carlos Beta: This scale divides the octave into
18.809 steps forming intervals of 63.8 cents.
Carlos Gamma: This scale achieves perfect
purity of the primary intervals 3/2, 4/3 and 5/4.
This scale divides the octave into 34.188 steps
forming intervals of 35.1 cents.
Harmonic (chromatic): This twelve-tone scale
is created in the partials in the fifth octave of
the harmonic series. The scale degrees that
correspond to the classic just intervals are the
major second, major third, perfect fifth and
major seventh.