I played the viola in high school, and went for my first semester of college at the music school at Indiana University...but I dropped out after the first semester. My teacher said playing was like being married, and I said, "bye".
I was the best at my viola in my high school, and the worst in my college class. I never felt I really knew how the play "in tune". All my teachers of course always talked about "playing in tune", but sometimes it was supposed to be like a piano, sometimes more flat or sharp if not with a piano...I understood the theory, but my ears didn't understand it; I thought I was tone deaf.
I actually read a bit about Partch during high school and got a CD from the library, but never listened to it. I remember reading about his 43-note "scale" but didn't understand it until about two years ago when I got back into music again after not even listening to music basically at all for about two years.
What got me back into it was a guy named Jacob Collier. He is a genius of sorts who lives with his mom in London and makes music in his bedroom. He introduced me to tuning theory, a field of music theory I wasn't familiar with. (He made an acapella version of "Moon River" by himself. He did a video where he explained his arrangement. He goes on a little tangent abou just intonation, and played a tempered and just major triad side-by-side. I heard the difference and it blew my mind. This link is timestamped to his explanation, which is about 2 minutes long: https://youtu.be/9d4-URyWEJQ?t=3913.)
Basically all of our music is in 12-tone equal temperment, but of course that is not the only was to tune. I suppose I vaguley knew about 12TET in high school, but we were never explicitly taught about or exposed to music in just intonation.
So I found Partch again after learning about just intonation and nerding out about that, learning everything I could. Of course his story of just doing it himself and making all the instruments and moving them across the country multiple times, etc. is really fascinating, and being exposed to a different sonic world, especially with primes 7 and 11.
Understanding tuning theory helped me realize that I'm not tone deaf. I got a small tanpura and learned to sing the basic 12 notes of the 5-limit scale in "just intonation". I'm thinking of trying to find a(n Indian) singing teacher and actually learn how to sing, perhaps, so maybe I'll be a musician again.
Just intonation and tuning is a really fascinating subject to me. I think it says a lot about the nature of Western Civilization and what it was often unconsciously aiming for and the compromises it took to achieve that goal. Basically we traded being in tune for being able to traverse harmonic space from anywhere to anywhere else. We traded the music of the spheres for a musical grid (harmonious ratios for the 12th root of 2). I studied N. Indian Classical music for three years, which is hardly enough to scratch the surface, but it deeply changed how I interacted with the territory of music (rather than just knowing the map). It's well worth pursuing, in my view.
Jacob Collier is astounding. What I squint to see off in the distance and quickly lose in mist, he is sitting calmly in the middle of. It will be interesting to see what he comes up with as he gets older.
Awesome it's so cool that you know all about that stuff. Since I learned about it I haven't met anyone who really understands, or cares.
I felt betrayed at first, actually, by my music teachers in high school and college. Such an important topic, and I thought I was tone deaf! They all acted like the piano was ultimate expression of intonation -- like it was easy and obvious, when really it is so complex! There is certainly a lot one could read into the topic about the state and growth of our "culture".
It is so fascinating to me how even with "only" 12 notes we do so much. I guess the same could be said our Indian classical music, only 12 notes, but so much. I'm curious though about singing ratios of 7 with a tanpura...
I am about to head out to drive across the country. Yes, I do consider myself a musician. Learning music changes the brain--and more than just the brain. It leaves its indelible mark. Whether we ever play music again or not.
I hope to pick up this conversation on the other side of my trip. -Jack
Are you a musician? What are your thoughts on Partch?
I played the viola in high school, and went for my first semester of college at the music school at Indiana University...but I dropped out after the first semester. My teacher said playing was like being married, and I said, "bye".
I was the best at my viola in my high school, and the worst in my college class. I never felt I really knew how the play "in tune". All my teachers of course always talked about "playing in tune", but sometimes it was supposed to be like a piano, sometimes more flat or sharp if not with a piano...I understood the theory, but my ears didn't understand it; I thought I was tone deaf.
I actually read a bit about Partch during high school and got a CD from the library, but never listened to it. I remember reading about his 43-note "scale" but didn't understand it until about two years ago when I got back into music again after not even listening to music basically at all for about two years.
What got me back into it was a guy named Jacob Collier. He is a genius of sorts who lives with his mom in London and makes music in his bedroom. He introduced me to tuning theory, a field of music theory I wasn't familiar with. (He made an acapella version of "Moon River" by himself. He did a video where he explained his arrangement. He goes on a little tangent abou just intonation, and played a tempered and just major triad side-by-side. I heard the difference and it blew my mind. This link is timestamped to his explanation, which is about 2 minutes long: https://youtu.be/9d4-URyWEJQ?t=3913.)
Basically all of our music is in 12-tone equal temperment, but of course that is not the only was to tune. I suppose I vaguley knew about 12TET in high school, but we were never explicitly taught about or exposed to music in just intonation.
So I found Partch again after learning about just intonation and nerding out about that, learning everything I could. Of course his story of just doing it himself and making all the instruments and moving them across the country multiple times, etc. is really fascinating, and being exposed to a different sonic world, especially with primes 7 and 11.
Understanding tuning theory helped me realize that I'm not tone deaf. I got a small tanpura and learned to sing the basic 12 notes of the 5-limit scale in "just intonation". I'm thinking of trying to find a(n Indian) singing teacher and actually learn how to sing, perhaps, so maybe I'll be a musician again.
Josh-
Just intonation and tuning is a really fascinating subject to me. I think it says a lot about the nature of Western Civilization and what it was often unconsciously aiming for and the compromises it took to achieve that goal. Basically we traded being in tune for being able to traverse harmonic space from anywhere to anywhere else. We traded the music of the spheres for a musical grid (harmonious ratios for the 12th root of 2). I studied N. Indian Classical music for three years, which is hardly enough to scratch the surface, but it deeply changed how I interacted with the territory of music (rather than just knowing the map). It's well worth pursuing, in my view.
Jacob Collier is astounding. What I squint to see off in the distance and quickly lose in mist, he is sitting calmly in the middle of. It will be interesting to see what he comes up with as he gets older.
I could talk on and on about tuning. -Jack
Awesome it's so cool that you know all about that stuff. Since I learned about it I haven't met anyone who really understands, or cares.
I felt betrayed at first, actually, by my music teachers in high school and college. Such an important topic, and I thought I was tone deaf! They all acted like the piano was ultimate expression of intonation -- like it was easy and obvious, when really it is so complex! There is certainly a lot one could read into the topic about the state and growth of our "culture".
It is so fascinating to me how even with "only" 12 notes we do so much. I guess the same could be said our Indian classical music, only 12 notes, but so much. I'm curious though about singing ratios of 7 with a tanpura...
Do you consider yourself to be a musician?
I am about to head out to drive across the country. Yes, I do consider myself a musician. Learning music changes the brain--and more than just the brain. It leaves its indelible mark. Whether we ever play music again or not.
I hope to pick up this conversation on the other side of my trip. -Jack