Are musical scales just trivial? This book explores this question, revealing the complexity of creating "harmony" in tonal systems.
Why 12 tones? Are there alternatives? Are 12 fifths equal 7 octaves? What is "consonance"? When are intervals "perfect" or "imperfect"? What is meant by "tonal characteristics", "whole tone" and "semitone"? "Ancient tuning" vs potentially new?
Answers need thoughtful explanations, revealing interconnectedness. In this context, mathematics is pivotal, explaining scale generation, temperament systems, etc.
Divided into three parts, this book covers:
- Modern interval arithmetic driven by prime numbers.
- Architectural principles of scales, with examples.
- Systematic nature of historical tunings and temperaments.
Understanding only requires school knowledge, developed into algebraic tools applied musically.
Reihe
Sprache
Verlagsort
Verlagsgruppe
Illustrationen
125
10 farbige Abbildungen, 125 s/w Abbildungen
XXIII, 711 p. 135 illus., 10 illus. in color.
ISBN-13
978-3-662-69541-8 (9783662695418)
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Prof. Dr. Karlheinz Schüffler is a mathematician, organist, and choir conductor. As a mathematician, he teaches at the University of Düsseldorf and previously at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences (Krefeld). As a musician, he has been dedicated to church music since his youth, with both organ and mathematical music theory being his areas of expertise.
