Quote:
Originally posted by STAM:
Jos,

I am not a specialist in the Eastern music but I use sometimes the 1/4 of tones.
What I can say is that the interval is not modified between 2 notes even if one detune a note inside this interval.

For example: the interval between A and C:

A to Bbemol: 1/2 tone
Bbemol to B: 1/2 tone
B to C: 1/2 tone

The total is 1,5 tone


If you detune the B to B-1/4, then:

A to Bbemol: 1/2 tone
Bbemol to B-1/4: 1/4 tone
B-1/4 to C: 3/4 tone

The total is still 1,5 tone


In oriental keyboards, this feature is used to play solos with the upper part.
This feature is not applied to the accompagnement tracks. Thus in the example referred to above, if you plays a G with your left hand, the sound will be G, B, D in the accompagnement even if the B is detuned for the right hand.
This discord is typical in the eastern music and is indispensable for those who play this kind of music.

STAM


I think this needs some clarification.
Old "oriental"(middle eastern, meditteranean)
music didn't even use chords since they
didn't have chordal instruments. A typical
ensemble would have percussion, oud(grand daddy of lute), violin, and ney(flute). Later on, guitar and keyboards were
added and these, of course, could not play
quarter tones, so standard chords were used.
Interestingly, when bass was added, fretless
types were used, so that quarter tone scales
could be played, and the bass followed the
melody line.
This brings us to modern arranger keyboards.
A high end model like the Roland G1000,
could have ALL STYLE PARTS play using the
quarter tone scale selected(a friend of mine owns one and has tried this); while a lower
model, like the Roland E-40 ORIENTAL, would
only have the lead or split keyboard play
the selected quarter tone scale, and have
the Style play all parts in a standard scale(as mentioned by STAM).
Therefore having the option to do it both ways, as well as having the option of having the style bass part, and non-chordal style parts play quarter tone scales would
be the ideal choice.
Jos, as I have discussed with you before,
linking OMB with a sample player that has
MTS and SCALA compatibility would make the
most sense. In addition, all the microtonal
composers(including those who are not
playing oriental music) could benefit greatly from such a configuration.

[This message has been edited by Vquestor (edited 09-04-2003).]