Ekmelic music

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Ekmelic music ( neologism from ancient Greek ἐκ ek , German 'from, from something away' and μέλος mélos , German 'limb, manner, song' ; thus, for example: "outside the tone sequence ") is a form of microtonal music based on a tempered Tone system with 72 equal steps in the octave (duoseptuagesimal system). The semitone is divided into six equal levels. It thus represents an extension of the traditional 12-step tone system with all important partial tones and covers the microtonal third, quarter, sixth and twelfth tone scales, the unequal natural tone scale as well as many tone systems of non-European musical cultures, e.g. B. in Arabic, Indian and Javanese music.

history

In 1970, the two professors Franz Richter Herf and Rolf Maedel at the Institute for Basic Musical Research at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg began to study and systematize microtones. They realized that not all tones lying between the traditional 12 steps can simply be perceived as incorrectly intonated or correctly heard. Microtonal tone sequences and coherences can also be right or wrong, depending on the internal logic of the system. They chose the term ekmelic from ancient Greek music theory. There it was used to designate tones that were not included in the tone systems. In the same way, the systematized microtone levels between the twelve semitone levels are called ekmelic tones and the practical application of this tone system is called ekmelic music .

Pitches

The ekmelic tone system defines a grid in which every tone value of the partial tone series and almost every tone system can be systematically represented with the greatest accuracy that can still be differentiated by the ear. The deviations are mostly below hearing sensitivity of around 5 to 8 cents. A single tone level - 1/6 semitone - is 16 2/3 cents (a tempered semitone corresponds to 100 cents). The following table contains the six tone spaces within a semitone step (C to C sharp) as well as their spacing and listening areas in tempered cent values:

Surname Increment Sound places Listening areas
  91 2/3
C.   0 8 1/3
C. 1/6 semitone higher 16 2/3 25th
C. 1/3 semitone higher 33 1/3 41 2/3
C. 1/2 semitone higher 50 58 1/3
Cis 1/2 semitone lower
Cis 1/3 semitone lower 66 2/3 75
Cis 1/6 semitone lower 83 1/3 91 2/3
Cis   100 108 1/3

notation

Arrows as additional symbols for the notation of ekmelic music

The notation introduced by Franz Richter Herf and Rolf Maedel uses three arrows and their inversions for the pitches within a semitone in addition to the conventional accidentals (cross, Be). They are above the notes and apply to the respective measure. A slash overrides them. In the case of chords, however, bent arrows are set to the left or right of the relevant note.

Accidentals for the 72-step tempered tone system (72-ET) in different notations: Richter Herf / Maedel, Maneri / Sims, u. a.

In other notations, such as Wilson Plus / Minus for twelve tones, half arrow (hook) for sixth tones and Gould arrow for quarter tones, or in the Maneri-Sims notation (developed by Ezra Sims ), the additional characters, like the conventional accidentals, are either alone or in combination to the left, set.

Ekmelic scales

The partial tone series only provides the sound material, but in its entirety it does not represent a scale and results in a sound that is far too complex. Rather, diatonic selection scales must be formed from the partial tones according to a certain procedure. Above all, scales derived from arithmetic series provide usable scales and homogeneous harmonies. Measurements on oboe and clarinet split sounds showed that combination tones build up in arithmetic series. These ekmelic scales form a basis for the compositional technique with microtones in ekmelic music.

An arithmetic series is formed by repeatedly adding the same difference d to an initial value a. It is called row d on a or abbreviated d || a . The series provides the frequency ratios of the partial tones that should be included in the scale. A certain section is selected from the series (a sonance series) and the values ​​are reduced to the range of an octave (octave transposition, i.e. smaller values ​​are doubled one or more times). If the distance between two tones on the scale is too small ( smaller than ½ Limma), so that they can no longer be viewed as independent degrees, the first upward tone and the second downward tone are omitted (corresponding to the melodic minor scale ).

A single ekmelic scale makes a diatonic music. A scale can be extended chromatically with tones not related to the ladder, or a combination of several scales with the same fundamental tone can be used.

The ekmelic system is therefore an equal tone system for representing unequal scales. It occupies a middle position between the microtonal equal and unequal systems. Each scale can be transposed to any of the 72 levels. The ekmelic system extends both the harmony with a large number of completely new, melodious chords (in whole-number proportions), so-called stable sounds , including the melody. This also enables the inclusion and presentation of many of the world's musical cultures.

Examples

  • The row 1 on 1 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 etc.) provides the complete series of partial tones.
  • The row 2 on 1 (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 etc.) does not contain the octave anywhere (ratio 1: 2) and is therefore less suitable for forming scales.
  • Row 3 to 2 (2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17 etc.) with 8 levels provides the following scale:
16   :   17   :   20   :   22   :   23   :   26   :   28   :   29   :   32
 0      105      386,3    551,3    628,3    840,5    968,8   1029,6   1200   Cent
   105      281.4    165       77      212.3    128.3     60.8    170.4      Abstand
It does not contain a perfect fifth (2: 3) or a perfect fourth (3: 4).
  • The row 5 to 4 (4, 9, 14, 19, 24, 29 etc.) with 12 levels contains too small gaps between the 7th and 8th tone (partial tones 48, 49 with 35.7 cents) or between the 11th and 12th tone (partial tones 58, 59 with 29.6 cents) and therefore has 10 effective levels:
32   :   34   :   36   :   38   :   39   :   44   :   48   :   49   :   54   :   56   :   58   :   59   :   64
 0      105      203.9    297.5    342.5    551.3    702      737.7    905.9    968.8   1029.6   1059.2   1200   Cent
   105       99       93.6     45      208.8    150.6     35.7    168.2     63       60.8     29.6    140.8      Abstand

literature

  • Rolf Maedel, Franz Herf: Ekmelic Music. Options for expanding our sound system . Ed .: Institute for Basic Musical Research at the University of Music and Performing Arts Mozarteum Salzburg. Salzburg 1972.
  • Rolf Maedel, Franz Richter Herf: Ekmelic Music (=  writings of the Mozarteum University Salzburg . No. 4 ). Katzbichler, Munich / Salzburg 1977, ISBN 3-87397-473-8 .
  • Franz Richter Herf: Ekmelic Music. Performance practice and intonation exercises . Edition Helbling, Innsbruck / Neu-Rum 1979 (Publ. No. 3801).
  • Rolf Maedel, Franz Richter Herf: Ekmelic Music . Edition Helbling, Innsbruck / Neu-Rum 1983 (Publ. No. 3916).
  • Peter Revers: Ekmelik. In: Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon . Online edition, Vienna 2002 ff., ISBN 3-7001-3077-5 ; Print edition: Volume 1, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 2002, ISBN 3-7001-3043-0 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Rolf Maedel, Franz Richter Herf: Ekmelische Musik (=  writings of the Mozarteum University Salzburg . No. 4 ). Katzbichler, Munich / Salzburg 1977, ISBN 3-87397-473-8 .
  2. ↑ MICRO 3 - FONTS for MICROTONAL (19-, 21-, 24-, 36-, 72-NOTE) MUSIC . Ted Mook website. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  3. ^ Franz Richter Herf: Formation of Ekmelic scales as a material for a finely graded melody . In: Ekmelic Music (=  writings of the Mozarteum University in Salzburg ). No. 4 . Katzbichler, Munich / Salzburg 1977, ISBN 3-87397-473-8 , pp. 14-17 .
  4. ^ Rolf Maedel, Franz Richter Herf: Ekmelic Music . Edition Helbling, Innsbruck / Neu-Rum 1983 (Publ. No. 3916).