Golden Master

An interesting aspect of using special tunings is that it gives you a way to reach back in time and use some of the exact same tunings as older musicians, even ones from almost 3000 years ago!  The greeks wrote down their tuning systems, and they have been translated in numerous publications.  The greeks used a multitude of different scales, all of which would be called microtonal by modern standards.  Harry partch, mentioned in a previous blog, was also interested in these ancient tunings.  Here, for example, is a recording he made with one of his instruments in an ancient greek scale (which is actually explained in one of the following linked websites).

Listen to Partch playing an ancient Greek Scale

Most famous of these greek tuning magicians is Pythagoras, who is known for his mystical leanings and mathematical discoveries as well as his eponymous tuning system.  The story of pythagoras and his vegetarian followers is a different, but very interesting chapter from what I’m pursuing here–but that sort of thing only adds another layer of interest to an already interesting subject!  

the dude

Today I tuned my synthesizers to the ancient scale of pythagoras and pretended I was a polyrhythmically multithreaded robot strumming a lyre at the foot of mount olympus.  Zeus will probably zap me any minute now.

zeus zapping

One of the best sites I’ve found with information on tuning and Just Intonation also has a lengthy section on the math and ideas behind ancient Greek Scales.  Make sure your thinking caps are on, because it’s quite technical: 

Music and Mathematics

And for you music theory heads, here is a website that goes into many of the details of Pythagorean tuning:

More details on Pythagorean tuning

Pythagoras’s tuning is the most mathematically simple way to derive a normal major, or diatonic, scale, and requires no ingredients other than the numbers 1, 2, and 3.  Our normal system of tuning is loosely based around a “5-limit” tuning system, which means that the ratios our frequencies are related by use no numbers greater than 5.  Pythagoras’s tuning, by logical extension, would be called “3 limit.”  It may sound conceptually elegant, but in the numbers, it isn’t.  For instance, in a C major scale, the ratio defining the relationship between C and E (a major third) is 5/4.  Because there are no fives allowed in 3-lmit tuning, pythagoras instead stacked 3’s on top of each other until he could get a similar note, defined by the ratio 81/64, which is quite out of tune.

That is just one example of the result of blindly sticking to an appealing idea, regardless of the consequences.  Our modern equal temperament tuning system also comes to mind.  Different tunings, have different flavors, however, and I decided to get old school today.  There are quite a few different ancient tunings available, all of which I’m excited to experiment with and try!

Here is the track I made in pythagorean tuning:

Link to track “Dune Beetle”

tech notes:  This track was made with five12 Numerology sequencing my tx81z and a reaktor ensemble I made, all running through various distortion pedals and outboard reverbs and delays.  The main track is in 5/4, but there is some 4/4 and 7/4 layered over the top of it, rhythmically phasing with it.  It was recorded live so there are some little moments of feedback as well.

 The pythagorean tuning I used in this particular track doesn’t come across as strong as the other microtunings that i’ve used, because the pythagorean system is somewhat similar in sound to equal temperament, and also because of all the crazy effects and layering that I used :).