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    The Well Tuned Piano

    Uploaded by

    ipires
    This document provides information about La Monte Young's composition "The Well-Tuned Piano", including a description of the 7-limit tuning system used, notations for individual pitches and intervals on the piano, and examples of chords from the piece. The tuning is based on just intonation using perfect fifths and sevenths. Pitches are notated using an extended Helmholtz-Ellis system with microtonal accidentals. Examples of intervals, scales, and characteristic chords from the composition are provided.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    The Well Tuned Piano

    Uploaded by

    ipires
    770 views4 pages
    This document provides information about La Monte Young's composition "The Well-Tuned Piano", including a description of the 7-limit tuning system used, notations for individual pitches and intervals on the piano, and examples of chords from the piece. The tuning is based on just intonation using perfect fifths and sevenths. Pitches are notated using an extended Helmholtz-Ellis system with microtonal accidentals. Examples of intervals, scales, and characteristic chords from the composition are provided.

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    theWellTunedPiano

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    This document provides information about La Monte Young's composition "The Well-Tuned Piano", including a description of the 7-limit tuning system used, notations for individual pitches and intervals on the piano, and examples of chords from the piece. The tuning is based on just intonation using perfect fifths and sevenths. Pitches are notated using an extended Helmholtz-Ellis system with microtonal accidentals. Examples of intervals, scales, and characteristic chords from the composition are provided.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    770 views4 pages

    The Well Tuned Piano

    Uploaded by

    ipires
    This document provides information about La Monte Young's composition "The Well-Tuned Piano", including a description of the 7-limit tuning system used, notations for individual pitches and intervals on the piano, and examples of chords from the piece. The tuning is based on just intonation using perfect fifths and sevenths. Pitches are notated using an extended Helmholtz-Ellis system with microtonal accidentals. Examples of intervals, scales, and characteristic chords from the composition are provided.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    At a glance
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    The text describes La Monte Young's Well-Tuned Piano and its microtonal tuning and notation.

    The scale is notated using an extended Helmholtz-Ellis JI Pitch Notation system and is structured based on perfect 3/2 fifths and pure natural 7/4 sevenths.

    The text lists intervals used in the scale such as 3/2, 4/3, 7/4, 9/8 and their cents values.

    La Monte Young

    The Well-Tuned Piano


    7-LIMIT TUNING
    based on perfect 3/2 fifths and pure natural 7/4 sevenths
    notated using the Extended Helmholtz-Ellis JI Pitch Notation
    microtonal accidentals designed by Marc Sabat and Wolfgang von Schweinitz

    Transcription based on D> (raised by a septimal comma)

    " ! "#

    49/32

    <e

    7/4

    >

    " !

    "#

    " ! "#
    e

    1/1

    " ! "#

    147/128
    <

    " ! "#

    21/16
    n
    >

    " ! "#
    e

    3/2

    " ! "#

    441/256
    <

    63/32

    " ! "#

    " ! "#

    1323/1024
    <
    v

    " ! "#

    189/128
    n

    " ! "#

    #
    " ! "#

    567/512
    n

    >

    Wolfgang von Schweinitz


    October 26, 2006

    9/8

    e n v

    notate pitches from the basic series of untempered perfect fifths (3/2) = 702.0 cents.

    notate an alteration by two septimal commas (64/63) 2 = - or + 43.0 cents.

    <

    >

    notate an alteration by one septimal comma (64/63) = - or + 21.5 cents.

    The notes in brackets represent the keys played on the piano keyboard.

    another possible notation:

    Transcription based on Ee
    49/32

    !
    !
    $

    " ! "#

    7/4

    " !

    "#

    <e

    " ! "#

    1/1

    " ! "#

    147/128

    " ! "#

    21/16
    <e

    " ! "#

    3/2

    " ! "#

    441/256
    e

    63/32

    " ! "#

    <e

    " ! "#

    9/8

    " ! "#

    1323/1024
    e

    " ! "#

    189/128

    <e

    #
    " ! "#

    567/512
    <n

    La Monte Young
    The Well-Tuned Piano
    7-LIMIT TUNING
    based on perfect 3/2 fifths and pure natural 7/4 sevenths
    THE SCALE
    notated using the Extended Helmholtz-Ellis JI Pitch Notation
    microtonal accidentals designed by Marc Sabat and Wolfgang von Schweinitz
    Wolfgang von Schweinitz
    October 26, 2006

    16 : 21
    16 : 21
    7:9
    27 : 32
    7:8

    6:7
    6:7

    sounding
    pitches

    ! n"

    "

    "

    e n v

    27 : 28
    512 : 567

    63/32

    played
    keys

    <

    8:9
    63 : 64
    >

    7:8

    6:7
    63 : 64
    n

    1/1

    "

    >

    "

    567/512

    "

    7:8
    48 : 49

    "

    <

    9/8

    "

    147/128

    "

    8:9
    <

    "

    63 : 64
    n

    1323/1024

    "

    "

    "

    8:9

    21/16
    n

    "

    notate pitches from the basic series of untempered perfect fifths (3/2) = 702.0 cents.

    >

    notate an alteration by one septimal comma (64/63) = - or + 21.5 cents.

    16 : 21
    7:9
    27 : 32
    6:7
    6:7

    7:9
    6:7

    7:9

    7:8

    7:8
    27 : 28

    ! n"

    63 : 64

    189/128

    en
    en
    e>

    64 : 81

    "

    >

    "

    3/2
    e

    "

    7:8
    48 : 49

    <e

    "

    49/32
    n

    "

    8:9

    <

    "

    7:8
    63 : 64

    441/256
    v

    "

    "

    7/4
    n

    "

    8:9

    "

    63/32
    n

    "

    63 : 64
    >

    "

    1/1

    "

    La Monte Young : The Well-Tuned Piano


    THE INTERVALS
    notated using the Extended Helmholtz-Ellis JI Pitch Notation
    a transcription of the list presented by Kyle Gann in his article "La Monte Young's The Well-Tuned Piano"
    (published in 'Perspectives of New Music', volume 31 no. 1, 1993)
    4/3 (498 c)
    3/2 (702 c)

    ! >"
    > "
    >"
    ! ""
    e
    e
    e

    !
    !

    ""
    >"

    n>

    "
    "
    "

    "

    ! <"
    "
    "
    ! ""
    "

    >
    n
    >

    !
    !

    "

    "
    <"
    > "
    >

    "
    v
    e ""
    e

    " >"
    >"
    ""
    "

    "
    "
    e"
    e

    ""
    "

    "
    "
    "

    " n"
    n"
    <

    ""
    "

    "
    "
    "

    "
    "
    e"
    e

    "
    "
    e"
    e

    <e

    "
    "
    e"
    e

    "
    "
    v"

    "
    < "
    n"
    "
    v"
    "

    64/49 (462 c)
    49/32 (738 c)

    "
    "
    "

    "
    "
    >"

    <e

    "
    "
    "

    >

    " >"
    >"
    n

    ""
    e "

    ne

    n
    n

    <

    "
    "
    "

    "
    v"
    "

    "
    "
    e"

    <

    "
    "
    >"
    >

    "
    "
    "

    <

    >
    >

    " n"
    n"
    ""
    "

    e
    v
    e

    "
    "
    "

    <

    "
    "
    n"
    n

    "
    "
    "

    <

    "
    "
    >"
    >

    "
    "
    "

    128/81 (792 c)
    81/64 (408 c)
    n
    n
    n

    "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    "

    ""
    "
    "
    "
    "

    "
    ""

    "
    ""

    "
    "
    "

    n
    n
    v

    "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    "

    "
    ""

    "
    n ""

    "
    v v""
    v

    72/49 (666 c)
    49/36 (534 c)
    <e

    <

    <e

    <<

    "
    e ""

    "
    "
    "

    e
    v
    e

    "
    "
    e"

    512/441 (258 c)
    441/256 (942 c)
    <>
    <>
    >
    >

    "
    "
    "

    "
    >
    > ""

    "
    "
    "

    ""
    "

    ""
    >"
    >

    >

    "
    "
    >"

    "
    "
    "

    "
    <"
    "

    16/9 (996 c)
    9/8 (204 c)

    >

    "
    "
    "

    "
    "
    n"
    n

    12/7 (933 c)
    7/6 (267 c)

    "
    "
    "

    112/56 (561 c)
    81/56 (639 c)
    <e
    n
    <e

    <

    ""
    "

    "
    "
    "

    "
    "
    "

    "
    "
    "

    n
    n
    n

    "
    "
    "

    "
    "
    e"

    >

    "
    "
    "

    "
    "
    "

    ""
    "

    >

    ""
    "

    "
    "
    <"
    <

    v
    v
    v

    <

    "
    "
    <"

    "
    n "
    >"

    "
    n "
    >"

    "
    "
    n"
    n

    <

    32/21 (729 c)
    21/16 (471 c)

    <

    ""
    "

    "
    "
    "

    >

    "
    "
    <e"
    <e
    v

    "
    "
    <e"

    "
    "
    v"

    "
    "
    "

    <

    <e

    "
    ""

    "
    "
    >"
    >

    ""
    > "

    n>

    "
    <"
    "

    256/189 (525 c)
    189/128 (675 c)
    >
    n
    >
    n
    >
    >

    "
    "
    "

    "
    "
    "

    <

    "
    "
    "

    >

    14/9 (765 c)
    9/7 (435 c)

    "
    ""

    "
    "
    "

    "
    "
    "

    ""
    "

    "
    <"
    "

    "
    "
    "

    <

    ""
    "

    31/27 (294 c)
    27/16 (906 c)
    <e
    <
    <e

    64/63 (27 c)
    63/32 (1173 c)

    ! n " >"
    >"
    ! ""

    ""
    "

    "
    n ""

    "
    v ""

    ""
    "

    <

    "
    n""

    "
    <e <""

    "
    "
    "

    "
    n
    e ""
    e

    <e

    ""
    ! <e
    <e "

    "
    "
    "

    "
    v "
    v"

    8/7 (231 c)
    7/4 (969 c)

    n
    n
    n

    "

    ! n > ""
    >"
    ! ""

    "
    n "
    n"

    "
    < "
    <"
    <

    Wolfgang von Schweinitz


    October 27, 2006
    n
    n
    n
    n
    n
    n

    28/27 (63 c)
    27/14 (1137 c)

    ""
    <"

    n<

    "
    "
    "

    ""
    v"
    v

    96/49 (1164 c)
    49/48 (36 c)
    >
    >
    > <e
    ><

    "
    ""

    "
    ""

    "
    e ""

    vn

    256/147 (960 c)
    147/128 (240 c)
    >
    <
    >

    "
    "
    "

    >
    <
    >

    "
    "
    "

    "
    nv""

    "
    v
    e ""
    e

    "
    ""

    1024/567 (1023 c) 2048/1323 (756 c)


    567/512 (177 c) 1323/1024 (444 c)

    "
    > n ""
    >

    "
    e " n"
    e

    >

    >

    <

    e
    v
    e

    "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    "

    La Monte Young
    The Well-Tuned Piano
    THE CHORDS
    notated using the Extended Helmholtz-Ellis JI Pitch Notation
    a transcription of some note examples in Kyle Gann's article "La Monte Young's The Well-Tuned Piano"
    (published in 'Perspectives of New Music', volume 31 no. 1, 1993)

    " >"

    sounding
    # >" >"
    4 :

    !
    #

    played
    e

    "

    "

    The
    Romantic
    Chord

    "
    "
    "
    "
    !
    "
    "
    ""
    "
    "
    "
    # <<e "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    ""
    <e
    <
    <e

    "
    "
    ""
    v ""
    ""
    "
    ""
    v ""
    "
    "
    "
    "
    ""

    !
    #

    84
    81
    72
    64
    56
    54
    48
    e n v
    <

    >

    "

    8
    e

    >

    "

    " >"
    9

    : 12

    "

    The
    Gamelan
    Chord

    "
    "
    <n "
    "

    "
    "
    "
    v"
    81
    64
    54
    42

    The
    Opening
    Chord

    "
    "
    ""
    >"
    > "

    >
    >
    n>

    "

    ""
    "
    "
    e"
    e "
    e
    e

    The
    Tamiar Dream
    Chord
    <e
    <e

    "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    27
    24
    18
    14

    7 : 9
    7 :
    27 : 28
    27 : 28

    " <" n"

    <e

    9
    27 : 32
    8 : 9
    8 :

    The
    Magic
    Chord

    " n" n" n"

    "
    "
    ""
    <e "
    < "
    ""

    "

    81 : 84 : 108 : 112 : 144 : 162 : 192 : 216

    "

    "

    "

    "

    The 189/98
    Lost Ancestral
    Region

    <

    <e

    "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    "

    "

    "

    "

    "

    The
    Brook

    n>
    >

    "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    ""
    n"
    > "

    >
    >
    >
    >n

    "
    "
    "
    "
    "
    "

    27
    24
    21
    18
    14
    12

    e
    e
    e
    e
    e

    ""
    "
    "
    "
    "
    ""
    ""
    21
    18
    16
    14
    12

    "
    "
    ""
    ""
    v ""

    The
    Pool

    "
    "
    ""
    <>"
    "
    >>
    ""

    >>

    >

    <e

    ""
    "
    "
    e"
    e "
    e ""
    e
    e

    224
    192
    147
    144
    128

    notate pitches from the basic series of untempered perfect fifths (3/2) = 702.0 cents.
    notate an alteration by one septimal comma (64/63) = - or + 21.5 cents.

    Wolfgang von Schweinitz


    October 27, 2006

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