Instrument, method, computer program, computer program product, data carrier, system and use

Abstract

The present invention relates to a musical instrument, characterized in that any pitch range is adapted to be expandable and modulatable based on a prime ratio greater than 5 or based on a ratio adjusted in real time using a prime ratio greater than 5 or an adjusted ratio, or adapted to be expanded and modulated during use.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a musical instrument, a method, a computer program, a computer program product, a data carrier, a system and a use. [Background technology]

[0002] To this day, it is not possible to develop arbitrary chords of higher prime ratios in real time with a just intonation instrument and to freely transpose these chords to higher prime ratios. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] This problem is solved by a musical instrument according to claim 1, a method according to claim 11, a computer program according to claim 12, a computer program product according to claim 13, a data carrier according to claim 14, a system according to claim 15 and a use according to claim 16.

[0004] The musical instrument according to the invention is configured such that chord development and modulation for prime ratios less than 5 as well as for prime ratios greater than 5 can be realized in real time or during use, where this capability of the musical instrument according to the invention is demonstrated, for example and in particular, based on the following description.

[0005] Advantageously, in this context, as demonstrated, the instrument is an electromechanical instrument equipped with a tuning device for dynamically retuning the tuning body, whereby chord development and modulation with prime ratios less than 5 as well as greater than 5 can be realized in real time or during use.

[0006] Moreover, in this context, advantageously, the musical instrument is an electronic musical instrument equipped with a tuning device for tuning the virtual tuning body, whereby chord development and modulation with prime ratios smaller than 5 as well as with prime ratios larger than 5 can be realised in real time or during use.

[0007] It is also essential for the invention that the musical instrument according to the invention also comprises an electronic calculation unit in which the rules and calculation methods listed below are implemented, so that, after calculation and / or assignment to the individual tuning bodies (whether real or virtual), a corresponding free playing is possible, in particular a playing in pure key.

[0008] For practical performance it is advantageous if the musical instrument according to the invention has at least one operating element by means of which at least one chord development and modulation context-related action is activated and / or deactivated.

[0009] Furthermore, advantageously, at least one of chord evolution and modulation context related actions are generated by means of at least one computation unit.

[0010] Electromechanical musical instruments are described here by way of example, in particular in the case of a dynamically retunable organ. This is characterized in that each pipe has a mechanical tuning device. These are positioned by suitable servo drives, whereby each pipe can be retuned to a calculated pitch. The exact positioning is calculated centrally by a calculation unit, depending on the tuning input of the musician using dedicated software, and is subsequently dynamically executed by the servo drives. The operating units (touch screen, switches, MIDI keyboard, pedals, etc.), the servo motors and the calculation unit are digitally connected to each other.

[0011] The electronic musical instrument is described here by way of example, in particular in terms of a dynamically retunable software sampler, which is characterized in that each sample is retunable with a variable playback speed. The exact playback speed and therefore the pitch of each sample is calculated centrally by a computation unit depending on the musician's tuning input and is subsequently executed by the software (audio engine). The manipulation unit (touch screen, switches, MIDI keyboard, pedals, etc.) and the computation unit are digitally connected to each other.

[0012] In the context of the invention, advantageously, as demonstrated, at least one chord development and modulation context-related operation is selected from the following group: a. Basic structure of high frequency range (tonality): Switching between pitch ranges where the ratios relative to a reference tone are calculated primarily as integer multiples on the one hand and primarily as integer divisors on the other hand b. Pitch Limit: Select the upper or lower limit of the prime ratio in the pitch range c. Octave position assignment of pitch range (full keyboard tuning): Switching between octave-boundary and non-octave-boundary permutations of prime ratios established by choosing upper or lower bounds with larger or smaller prime ratios corresponding to the octave position d. Pitch shift (transposition): Modulation of a reference tone and its defined pitch range, or of multiple reference tones and their defined pitch ranges in prime or integer ratios, via selection of prime or integer ratios e. Interleaving (transition) of two or more pitch ranges: Selection of note positions that remain after modulation f. Distance between the primary and secondary pitches: Selection of the distance between at least two reference tones in at least two pitch ranges through selection of one prime or integer ratio or a corresponding number of prime or integer ratios g. Continuous transitions (progressions) between regulated or one-dimensional pitch ranges and multi-dimensional pitch ranges: Switching tuning selection from continuous variation between arbitrary tuning and tuning based on a ratio of three (Pythagorean tuning) to tuning based on a ratio greater than three This is one of them.

[0013] As a practical matter, advantageously, the musical instrument according to the invention comprises at least one playing unit, in particular at least one playing element consisting of a series of keys and pedals.

[0014] In this context, advantageously, as demonstrated, at least one performance unit or at least one performance element can be assigned or is assigned at least one action related to the context of chord development and modulation.

[0015] From a practical point of view, it is then advantageous in many cases to dispense with a physical tuning body and for the musical instrument to have at least one amplifier unit and / or at least one speaker in order to acoustically reproduce the generated sound via at least one speaker.

[0016] Furthermore, the present invention claims the following:

[0017] A method for retuning a musical instrument, characterized in that it uses a musical instrument according to the invention.

[0018] A computer program particularly adapted to carry out the method according to the invention when the program is run on a computer.

[0019] A computer program product adapted to carry out the method according to the invention.

[0020] A data carrier comprising a computer program adapted to carry out the method according to the invention.

[0021] A system configured to carry out the method according to the invention.

[0022] To perform in such a way that any pitch development and modulation, whether with prime ratios less than 5 or greater than 5, can be realized or can be realized during use; and / or To perform chords with on-the-fly retuning so that all intervals of the chords and all interrelated chords are reproducible in just intonation or are reproducible during use; and / or To perform, using on-the-fly retuning, in the adjusted tuning and just intonation and any linear gradation therebetween, as may be realized or as may be realized in each key of the circle of fifths defined in relation to the adjusted tuning, The method according to the invention -and / or -Computer program according to the invention -and / or -Computer program product according to the present invention -and / or -Data carrier according to the invention -and / or -Instrument according to the present invention -and / or -System according to the present invention Use of. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] The following embodiment illustrates the general principles of the musical instrument according to the invention.

[0024] The instrument according to the invention is configured to manually, functionally and dynamically adapt in all details all tonal ratios in any pitch range as prime or integer ratios to a current reference tone, via seven interacting functions (claim 6 a)-g)) that allow for a maximally differentiated overall tonal result.

[0025] The task is, on the one hand, to improve the tonality of existing musical compositions as much as possible, and, on the other hand, to develop the creative possibilities of harmony and melody through the integration of higher prime ratios in chords as well as the distance between at least two pitch reference tones. A prerequisite for the mastery of this developed harmony and melody is a deeper understanding of the laws of just intonation (Prof. Martin Vogel 1923 - 2007, Die Lehre von den Tonbeziehungen, Bonn - Bad Godesberg 1975).

[0026] The present problem is not aimed at minimizing the compromises on the pitch purity of any kind of tuning by independent chord recognition and tuning correction with automated tonal control. This approach is perhaps best described by the term "dynamic tuning" and is already pursued by various projects and thus is state of the art such as Justonic Pitch Palette, Mutabor, Hermode Tuning, TransFormSynth, etc. Even if this approach achieves tonal improvements in the spirit of integer ratios, it nevertheless denies the performer active and detailed, and thus comprehensive, access to the various tonal parameters. This results in a loss of freedom for further artistic construction. The musician cannot independently control or consciously construct the tuning change process, since the algorithms operating in the background do not recognize the performer's artistic intention in a concrete harmonic situation. In many cases, the performer lacks the means to accurately execute his / her own decision regarding the exact pitch, since there are increasingly many radically different interpretations of the harmonic relations of one and the same piece.

[0027] Inevitably, this produces standard tonal results that stay within prescribed limits, but rarely venture into new musical territory.

[0028] This is illustrated by the following example: One of the unspoken laws of music is the effort to keep the fundamental tuning stable, i.e. the pitch of the harmonic reference tone of the original piece must not change during the course of the piece. All of the above software projects strive to fulfill this law. However, if the music is played in perfect intonation, the spontaneous commas will cause the phenomenon of "wandering" of the tone, that is, repeated rising and falling of the overall tuning.

[0029] Various Renaissance masters, such as Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672), used precisely this drift to make the contents of vocal texts more clearly recognizable through tonality. In some works, Schütz assumed a descending global tuning for negative contents and an ascending global tuning for positive contents. This was done at a time when keyboard instruments had not yet achieved tonal dominance. All the melodic instruments used (singers, strings, winds) had a sufficient range to express the sometimes significant deviations in tone that the composer wanted. The basso continuo (chest organ) functioned at that time more as an auxiliary instrument for the rehearsal of literary works than as a precise reference instrument.

[0030] With the instrument according to the invention, the player for the first time has a high-resolution reference instrument in terms of tonal resolution, while at the same time offering the greatest artistic freedom.

[0031] Detailed explanation of the seven parameters of just intonation: a. Basic structure of the high range (tonality): The instrument according to the invention follows harmonic dualism (Arthur von Oettingen 1836-1920, Das duale Harmoniesystem, Leipzig 1913) in the interpretation of tonality: every prime or integer ratio can always be interpreted as an interval above or below, depending on whether the lower or upper harmonic of the interval or chord is taken as the reference tone. If the tone with the lowest frequency is established as the reference tone, a major chord results. If the tone with the highest frequency is taken as the reference tone, a minor chord results. This dualistic focus on major and minor tonalities of the tonal style offers the decisive advantage that not only major but also minor chords can be developed with higher prime ratios. These higher prime ratios, interpreted as lower intervals, always form new pitches that cannot be expressed with higher intervals. This gives rise to new harmonic means for playing music in pure tonality.

[0032] To this end, the instrument provides a means to switch between a basic structure of the pitch range in which all note positions are primarily integer multiples of the reference tone (adultarity), i.e., non-pure fractions, and a basic structure of the pitch range in which all note positions are primarily integer divisors of the reference tone (eutonarity), i.e., pure fractions, within the upper octave limits (2^n~2^n+1), or

[0033] b. Pitch Limit: This parameter pertains to controlling the upper or lower limits of the prime ratios or dimensions currently present in the pitch range of the Euler tonal network. The term "limit" that is now commonly used for this purpose was coined by Harry Partch (instrument maker, musician and composer, American, 1901-1974). The purpose of this function is to centrally and thus effectively fix the number of higher prime ratios for each current harmony.

[0034] c. Octave position assignment of pitch range (full keyboard tuning): It should be noted that if one wishes to play music with higher prime ratios, they will appear in their preferred octave position relative to the reference tone according to the spectrum of upper or lower harmonics. This means that the greater the prime ratio, the further away it should sound from the reference tone. Nevertheless, the distance to the reference tone can be freely selected within given limits, i.e. to move these ratios "up" or "down" an octave, thereby making their specific characteristics more perceptible by ear. In order to avoid having to manually select the octave position for each individual ratio, the player has the means, via this function, to place these ratios as groups in the octave space above or below the reference tone, depending on the currently set limit. Prime groups are defined as values ​​within the upper octave limits (2^n~2^n+1) for adultinity or within the lower octave limits (1 / 2^n~1 / 2^n+1) for eutonality relative to the reference tone.

[0035] d. Pitch shift (transposition): The instrument according to the invention provides the means to modulate any reference tone, including its defined pitch range, simply through the selection of a higher prime ratio, thereby providing the player with chord combinations based on fifth (ratio of 3) and third (ratio of 5) relationships, but also on higher prime relationships (ratios of 7, 11, 13, etc.). These modulations with higher prime ratios allow, for example, the reinterpretation of the blue note (ratio of 7) of the blues scale as a new reference tone, including its harmonic environment. By integrating higher prime ratios into chords and using them as a basis for modulation, it is possible to generate any narrow or wide semitones, which allows for very precise control of the harmonic tension progression.

[0036] e. Fusion (transition) of two or more pitch ranges: This function represents a combination from the functions d and f, and offers an advantage when only one keyboard is present: by determining which note positions continue to exist after a modulation, harmonically distant pitch ranges or note positions can be used simultaneously, within certain limits.

[0037] f. Distance between the primary and secondary pitches: In order to reduce the number of retunings during a performance, it is recommended to work with at least two keyboards, each with its own pitch range. Here, the function of the invention can be used to unambiguously determine the distance between the main reference tone with its pitch range and the secondary reference tone with its pitch range or with multiple pitch ranges, via the selection of prime or integer ratios. This function is essential for the full integration of higher prime ratios into harmonic movements.

[0038] g. Continuous transitions (progressions) between regulated or one-dimensional pitch ranges and multi-dimensional pitch ranges: This function provides a means to smoothly and continuously change between any tonal pitch range or pitch range based on a ratio of 3 (limit 3) to a pitch range based on a ratio greater than 3 (limit > 3) using a continuous controller. All note positions calculated in this way are not integers. The exceptions are note positions formed when the limit > 3 or the limit 3 reaches the end position of the controller.

[0039] Progression Melodic tuning Harmonic tuning 1. Adjusted limit > 3 2. Limit 3 Limit > 3

[0040] For a listener to comprehend a harmonic series, it takes a certain amount of time for the ear to pick up the relevant frequencies and for the brain to analyze and correlate them. Once harmonic changes exceed a certain tempo, the listener is no longer able to uniquely associate the various frequencies. The closer the ratios involved are to integers, the less time this takes.

[0041] Beyond a certain tempo of harmonic progression, it no longer makes sense to make all ratios just intoned, because some of the extensive pitch modifications necessary for just intonation are no longer perceived as such by the listener. In this situation, the performer can smoothly move to either purely melodic tuning (Pythagorean tuning) or any kind of tuning.

[0042] The progression from purely melodic tuning or modulation should be made depending on the tempo of the harmonic changes and needs to be determined anew case by case. This progression allows, on the one hand, a seamless transition from a melodically focused and highly virtuoso piece section (limit 3) to a harmonically rich piece section (limits > 3), and, on the other hand, a seamless transition from very fast harmonic changes that give the player no time to adjust to slower passages with full adjustment of the pitch parameters (limits > 3).

[0043] The synergy of redundant control elements optimized for fast operation and the seven sub-parameters of tonality described herein creates a means of fluent musical production with all the details of just intonation and complete artistic freedom.

Claims

1. In musical instruments, The instrument is characterized in that any pitch range can be expanded or modulated based on a prime number ratio greater than 5, or based on a ratio adjusted in real time using a prime number ratio greater than 5 or an adjusted ratio, or can be expanded or modulated during use. musical instrument.

2. The aforementioned instrument is an electromechanical instrument equipped with a tuning device for dynamically retuning the tuning body, thereby enabling any pitch range to be expanded or modulated based on prime number ratios greater than 5, or based on ratios adjusted in real time using prime number ratios greater than 5 or adjusted ratios, or to be expanded or modulated during use. The musical instrument according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned instrument is an electronic instrument equipped with a tuning device for tuning a virtual tuning body, thereby enabling any pitch range to be expanded or modulated based on prime number ratios greater than 5, or based on ratios adjusted in real time using prime number ratios greater than 5 or adjusted ratios, or to be expanded or modulated during use. The musical instrument according to claim 1.

4. The instrument has at least one operating unit which activates and / or deactivates at least one operation related to the context of pitch expansion and modulation. The musical instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. At least one operation related to the context of high-pitched expansion and modulation is generated using at least one computational unit. The musical instrument according to claim 4.

6. At least one action related to the context of high-pitched expansion and modulation belongs to the following group: a) Basic structure of high-frequency sounds: Switching between pitch ranges where the sound frequency of a reference tone is calculated primarily as an integer multiple on one hand, and primarily as an integer divisor on the other. b) Limitations on the high frequency range: Selection of an upper or lower limit for prime number ratios in the high-pitched range c) Assignment of octave positions in the high-pitched range: Switching between octave boundary substitution and non-octave boundary substitution of prime ratios, determined by the selection of an upper or lower limit based on a larger or smaller prime ratio corresponding to the octave position. d) Shift in the high frequency range: Modulation via the selection of prime or integer tone ratios between a reference tone and its defined pitch range, or between multiple reference tones and their defined pitch ranges in prime or integer tone ratios. e) Fusion of two or more high-frequency sounds: Even after the key change, there are still options for selecting note positions. f) The distance between the primary and secondary high frequencies: Selection of distance between at least two reference tones in at least two pitch ranges via selection of one prime number ratio or integer ratio or a corresponding number of prime number ratios or integer ratios. g) Continuous changes between a tuned or one-dimensional pitch range and a multi-dimensional pitch range: Switching from a continuous change between arbitrary adjustments and tunings based on three tone ratios (Pythagorean tuning) to tunings based on tone ratios greater than three. One of them is The musical instrument according to claim 4.

7. The aforementioned instrument has at least one performance unit. The musical instrument according to claim 4.

8. The performance unit has at least one performance element consisting of a series of keys and pedals. The musical instrument according to claim 7.

9. The at least one performance unit or the at least one performance element can be assigned, or is assigned, at least one operation related to the context of pitch range expansion and modulation. The musical instrument according to claim 7.

10. The instrument has at least one amplifier unit and / or at least one speaker. The musical instrument according to claim 3.

11. In methods for retuning musical instruments, A feature characterized by using the musical instrument described in claim 1, method.

12. A computer program, more particularly configured to carry out the method described in claim 11 when the computer program is executed on a computer.

13. A computer program product configured to carry out the method described in claim 11.

14. A data carrier comprising a computer program configured to carry out the method described in claim 11.

15. A system configured to carry out the method described in claim 11.

16. To enable or enable the development and modulation of any pitch range even with prime number ratios greater than 5, and / or To perform in a way that allows all intervals of a chord and all interrelated chords to be reproduced in just intonation, or to reproduce them during use, and / or Using retuning during performance, in order to perform in a way that is possible or possible in each key of the circle of fifths defined in relation to the adjusted tuning, in the adjusted tuning, just intonation, and each linear gradation between them, - The method according to claim 11 - and / or - The computer program according to claim 12 - and / or - Computer program product according to claim 13 - and / or - Data carrier according to claim 14 - and / or - The musical instrument described in claim 1 - and / or - The system according to claim 15 Use.