Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

Widening unequal tempered microtonal pitch space for metaphoric and cognitive purposes with new prime number scales

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

I define a new set of microtonal scales based on the prime number series, and containing 41 to 91 pitches spread over the whole audible range, rather than subdividing the octave. I designed these scales for metaphorical purposes, and applied one within my performance piece Ubasuteyama (2008), written with Hazel Smith, for speaker, computer sound and digital processing. Simple timbres using partials bearing prime number ratios to their fundamental were also used to embody the scale. The scales and timbres will be amongst the subjects of cognitive studies of pitch combinations, of large and unbroken pitch intervals in melodies, and of the relation between scale and timbre.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)94-95
Number of pages2
JournalLeonardo
Volume42
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 2009

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Widening unequal tempered microtonal pitch space for metaphoric and cognitive purposes with new prime number scales'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this