Cv sequencing of non western tunings possible in reason ?

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selig
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Post 21 May 2023

Floyd42 wrote:
20 May 2023
Ahornberg wrote:
20 May 2023
Other cultures do use other tunings, e.g. Gamelan music
That's right, it's a cultural thing. And this music is played on instruments that have evolved in this culture. And heard by people who grew up in that culture.
Trying to transfer music from one culture to another sometimes sounds a bit weird.
I love Gamelan music but I cannot compose Gamelan music nor would I want to try to do so without immersing myself in that culture first (and even then it can be potentially awkward trying to do so). But I AM influenced by it after hearing it for the first time many years ago, reminding me of modular synth sequencer music at some level!

But that example of Smoke on the Water (above) is played in an equal tempered scale, right? So more about imposing a cultural set of instruments and language on an existing song more than the tuning in that case (and in this case it totally worked IMO!).

Which reminds me of a Peter Gabriel interview where he spoke about trying to collaborate with middle eastern etc. musicians on the Passion soundtrack and how his ‘Western” mind could not fully integrate with the Eastern tunings - so he did either one or the other rather than the original intention of a blending of the two. He also released Passion Sources which was the material that didn’t make the cut partly because of the tuning differences not allowing a full collaboration. I may be getting some of the details of the story wrong, it was a long time ago. And while I personally LOVE the results of this project it also reveals how cultural differences can sometimes work, sometimes not work when integrated.

All to say, the tuning you choose will dictate the instruments and musicians you can work with, so it affects more than just the frequencies of the notes you play. Even working with 432 Hz projects causes all sorts of headaches every time you reach for an instrument that’s not tuned to that standard - or worse, cannot be tuned to that standard such as B3/organs or pianos, vibes and other tuned percussion, etc. I had a producer friend do ONE song at 432 Hz and get so frustrated (and limited) they never tried it again!

I guess it comes down to making a commitment at some level to the tuning you choose, and thus it can become a HUGE factor in the every aspect of production that follows - from the instruments you can use/not use, to the musicians you can collaborate with, and probably other aspects you’ll only encounter once you go down that path!
Selig Audio, LLC

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