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Date: Fri Aug 13, 1999 2:42 pm
Subject: Basic tuning math jadl@xxxxxx.xxxx
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Or are you left stammering? Dont'cha HATE it when that happens? Well,
now you can be math literate, because Uncle John has prepared...
Whenever the whole process gets confusing, think of the piano. But,
even if you're lost or indifferent so far, you can still do
The math
First you need a calculator with logs and exponents. A key might be
labeled "log" or "ln" (for log natural). The other key we want is
something like "X^Y", where Y is probably a superscript to X, indicating
that the key will raise X to the Y power.
Don't have a calculator with those keys? Get down to the store and buy
one! They're cheap. Yes, you did vow most solemnly you'd never own
anything of the sort, but holding out this long is enough to have made
your point. Now buy (or borrow) one.
Let's walk through some basic calculations. You gotta get this to work
before we can go on. Confess your lack of knowledge to someone who
might know, if you're stuck.
Raise 2.0 to the 3.0 power; get 8.0. I wish I could help you with more
specific instructions, but calculators are all different.
Next exercise: divide the log of 1.5 by the log of 2. It'll go one of
two ways:
If your calculator uses natural logs:
log(1.5) = 0.4055
log(2.0) = 0.6931
log(1.5) / log(2.0) = 0.5850
log(1.5) = 0.1761
log(2.0) = 0.3010
log(1.5) / log(2.0) = 0.5850
Note that the final answer comes out the same, so it doesn't matter;
we're actually calculating "log to base 2" by either path. By the way,
0.5850 happens to be the fraction of an octave representing a perfect
fifth (frequency ratio 1.5).
OK, walk thru with an example: a major third, a 5/4 ratio, divides out
to 1.25 frequency ratio; take the log of that; take the log of 2 and
divide; you should see 0.3219 (if your calculator displays intermediate
results); multiply by 1200 and get 386.31 cents (compare with 400 cents
for a major third in 12-tET).
Note that everything we've talked about relates TWO notes. A single
note in space, such as A440, may be a starting point for forming
intervals, but there's little we can do with it by itself.
JdL