Microtonal Guitar

stormbringer

Senior member
Messages
286
Anyone here ever try a microtonal guitar (like the ones here http://www.organicdesign.org/peterson/guitars/index.html)? Just curious as they seem, uhm, interesting... Thoughts?
 

nathan a

Senior member
Messages
1,836
Lily Afshar, the truly brilliant Iranian classical guitarist, uses a guitar with little "fretlets" installed to play traditional persian music. If you can find it, check out her playing of Gozaar (Calligraphy #5). Uses those semi tones a lot.
 
N

neilium

Guest
Just intonation and microtonality are whole other world. It's fascinating stuff to listen to, but as far as playing it or understanding it, I simply can't get my head around it at all. Check out the music of Harry Partch. Cool stuff, and he built all the instruments himself.
 

confederatewk

Senior member
Messages
116
if skilled, its a metal masters dream  but you trully have to find someone who builds them right.....sometimes u get b uzzing, i heard a guy play one once,  b ut the notes bogged up on the uneven fret layout
 

stormbringer

Senior member
Messages
286
Cool, thanks guys.  I'll check out a few of those people playing in the microtonal world. Appreciate it! It's something I think I'll look more into, for fun (being a math kinda guy that I am). Thanks again...
 
N

neilium

Guest
stormbringer said:
(being a math kinda guy that I am).

Then it will fit you like a glove. If you want to go on a math/music jag, check out Conlon Noncarrow. He wrote music with irrational numbers for time signatures. His piano pieces were impossible to play, so he punched rolls for a player piano. Also, Iannis Xenakis has used calculus as a structure for his music. Dense, irritating stuff, I tell ya.
 
R

RLW

Guest
This guy is worth checking out, definitely has his own thang happening. One of the nicer folks from the Gear Page.

http://www.eddegenaro.com/html/hear_ed.html

Plays a fretless guitar quite often, which actually seems less confusing to me than adding more frets. I doubt I could comprehend either, though.

I REALLY like this cut.

http://eddegenaro.com/audio/knitimprov.mp3
 

dbw

Senior member
Messages
4,531
Once my Warmoth is done I might defret my old Peavey... not for microtonal shit, just for cool slide sounds... could be fun.
 

g2

Active member
Messages
73
Jon Catler makes some interesting guitars....(I think he makes them anyway!!) But I know he plays microtonal music....

http://www.freenotemusic.com/site/store/guitars.html

 

MDVermette

Active member
Messages
32
G2...

I believe the freenote guitar was recently reviewed in Guitar Player - They liked it a lot. As for fretless guitars, I think Pat Metheny is the only "big time" artist who uses them - He has a fretless nylon string. My own explorations in this extend only to an hour spent with this wild bit of kit: http://www.godinguitars.com/godinglissentarp.htm

--Mark
 
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