I've been working on a 31-tone piece based on the idea of interplay between some dorianish scales taken from here, so I'm looking for your thoughts (and shamelessly hoping to encourage some of you to play with exotic scales and temperaments, I think there's a lot of unexplored territory in that direction):
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for me, all music starts with what you are trying to express and any abstract concepts based on mathematical ideas are a total anathema. Having said that, the results of such endeavours can be interesting and I rather enjoyed your sound world here, though I'm not sure how it could have developed if it went on any longer -- but then that's probably not the point of this exercise.
I have a different view on this. My approach is to turn the abstract ideas into music, and then retroactively mold it, bend it, twist it, and warp it to my own purposes until it's completely out-of-shape.
Many experimental music pieces take it only to the first step: turning the abstract idea into notes, and just stop there. That's the equivalent of writing a scale in C major and leaving it at that. Rather than going too far, they don't go far enough. They experiment with the mathematical idea but haven't gotten to the real artistic part. Writing a scale in C major will never win you any awards, because that's just pure basic technique without any artistry. The artistry comes from the human hand guiding, molding, bending, twisting, and completely "beating out of shape", the basic technique. The art comes from the human using the technical tools -- be it a C major scale or a 31edo abstract mathematical idea -- and saying something with it. If it's just the pure output from some mathematical device or algorithm, there's no art at all. It holds about as much interest as a C major scale. But if you now take that output and add the human element to it, make it say something, then there's something worth talking about -- and listening to.
This would sound nice on a marimba. As for exotic scales and temperaments, this was explored a long time ago. I enjoyed some experiments back then, but generally, no one really thought it would lead to anything significant. Our maestro was involved in the construction of a 31-tone organ. He composed some music for that instrument, shared it with us, and then remarked that, as a composer, he didn't need so many notes. 'Twelve is more than enough,' he said, and I agreed. However, it's an interesting subject for students. I studied Prof. Fokker's book on 31-tone music and then forgot all about it. There were so many experiments going on in those days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmGhF32ulKc
I have to say, this 30edo piece sounds a lot more accessible than many of the microtonal experiments I've listened to. It felt like a nice jazzy / blues background music in a quiet lounge at night, except with a sprinkling of the exotic from the temperament. Surprisingly relaxing to listen to.
I've tried writing a 19edo fugue before, but wasn't familiar enough with the temperament to know how to proceed after the exposition. Also didn't have enough experience to know how to use the extra notes except as passing tones. One of these days I should get back to it... only, most music software is designed with 12edo in mind, so it takes quite a bit of extra effort to coax it to do 19edo. And time is a premium these days.
> Also didn't have enough experience to know how to use the extra notes except as passing tones
It was the same for me at first, then I started using the extra notes to build passing chords (like in this small demo in 19-edo). Now my favourite approach is to use microtonal dissonances as a tension/release tool, i.e. introduce some strange xen decorations and go back to the familiar diatonic consonant sound after that. I'm also spending a lot of time just tinkering with scales, although it hasn't been super productive because most of them are too weird (or maybe my ears are not accustomed yet).
I really loved this, thanks for sharing. In my opinion, of the more abstract and obscure compositional mediums to work within, microtonality stands out as a promising way forward. It allows composers to explore the intricate nuances of pitch beyond the limitations of the standard 12-tone system while still preserving many of the foundational principles that make traditional harmony so compelling. When compared to other explorations, such as atonality, microtonality feels more like an extension rather than a departure from these core concepts. It offers a new palette of tonal colors, so to speak, in ways that feel grounded yet fresh to my ears.
Of course, this is all a matter of personal taste, but I find microtonal music both fascinating and surprisingly accessible. This piece, along with the other one shared, is a fine example.
I know little of the theory involved in microtonal composition, but I can easily imagine its potential—especially if it can be gradually introduced into Western music. Over time, the ideal would be that microtonality could transform how we perceive harmony- It just feels like the most logical natural next step in evolving the musical language to me, I really wish I knew more!