RE: Maths vs. Music - Tuning and harmony
September 12, 2016 at 9:26 am
(This post was last modified: September 12, 2016 at 9:42 am by bennyboy.)
A little more on that. . .
I find it useful to think of key-defining notes as detuned version of the desired note (tonic or third): in other words, it's more of an effect than a harmonic device. Here's a fun game to play: get a friend or family member, and have them hold a single note while you start very low and slowly slide up into unison. That "lock on" feeling, in my opinion, is the essence of the major/minor system.
So trying to mathematically coordinate harmonies that are coherent in both the before and after keys doesn't really matter too much. You get to make an arbitrary artistic decision in between about which harmonies / leading note pitches you will use, and which decision you choose will affect how the song is perceived by the listener.
I find it useful to think of key-defining notes as detuned version of the desired note (tonic or third): in other words, it's more of an effect than a harmonic device. Here's a fun game to play: get a friend or family member, and have them hold a single note while you start very low and slowly slide up into unison. That "lock on" feeling, in my opinion, is the essence of the major/minor system.
So trying to mathematically coordinate harmonies that are coherent in both the before and after keys doesn't really matter too much. You get to make an arbitrary artistic decision in between about which harmonies / leading note pitches you will use, and which decision you choose will affect how the song is perceived by the listener.
