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In the Forum: Playback Listening
In the Thread: Audio vs. Musical pitch
Post Subject: Partially explainedPosted by rowuk on: 6/10/2014
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 Romy the Cat wrote:
 rowuk wrote:
Major chords create sidebands that are harmonically related to the chord - there is little dissonance. Minor chords create sidebands that are NOT harmonically related.
H, I did not know it. That is VERY interesting, I need to think about it. Very, very interesting!!!
 rowuk wrote:
On a side note, I teach trumpet and "weak" players often "sound" sharp - even if a tuning device "proves" that their tone is centered at the correct pitch.
Excellent illustration of my original point! I wonder if you detected any differences in perception when your student sounds “fictitiously sharp” in major chords vs. minor chords?

Actually, when we look at the natural trumpet as played in Bachs days, we have a very interesting situation. The tones played are called partials, because of the way that the resonance is divided up in the instrument. The lowest tone - one wavelength in the horn, is called the fundamental, an octave higher is 2 wavelengths in the instrument, the next note is 3 wavelengths in the instrument and is a an octave and fifth above the fundamental. 4 wavelengths is two octaves above the fundamental, 5 is a third above that, 6 wavelengths or partials is an octave above the fifth, 7 wavelengths is a very flat 7th and 8 wavelengths is the third octave above the fundamental.
The point that I am making here is that this "natural" instrument, when played in an ensemble has all of the notes line up mathematically and acoustically correctly. Major chords produce essentially no dissonant resultants. Modern instruments with valves are much shorter and we are stuck with the length of the valve slides to adjust intonation and sum and difference tones. The opportunity to get it "wrong" is far greater!

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