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Segovia is quoted as saying (then in his late 60s) that he was still a humble student of the guitar. I found that to be very profound indeed.

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G'day rharv

Quote:

Always wondered why they didn't add one more octave to a piano to make it an even 100 keys.




How about 102 keys..? Takes a piano from 7 1/3 octaves to 8 1/2.

Australian piano makers:
Stuart & sons

http://www.stuartandsons.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&Itemid=65


--=-- My credo: If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing - just ask my missus, she'll tell ya laugh --=--
You're only paranoid if you're wrong!
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If you allowed only one octave of notes (ie C to C) plus a rest,
and limited the timing to 16th notes, then for just one measure,
there are 2,177,953,337,809,371,136 combinations.

Allow two octaves, and the number rises to 43,608,742,899,428,874,059,776

And that's just one measure of a one part melody.

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Quote:

If you allowed only one octave of notes (ie C to C) plus a rest,
and limited the timing to 16th notes, then for just one measure,
there are 2,177,953,337,809,371,136 combinations.

Allow two octaves, and the number rises to 43,608,742,899,428,874,059,776

And that's just one measure of a one part melody.




Sure, (well, didn't check yer math) But how many of those possible combinations will sound good?

How many will get you a gig?

I've never understood those artsy-fartsy types that will force their junk onto folks even if they have to tie 'em to the barstools to keep 'em...

--Mac

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Hmmmmmm, tie'm to the bar stools, I almost forgot that trick.

Thanks for the reminder,

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The funny thing about this is that music has hit the wall several times. The outcome is what we call "genre". Rock has the basic three major chords with a minor tossed in every now and then. Jazz has predictable turn arounds. Country and Blues works much the same as Rock does.

I think the framework sets the boundaries. However, artistry often happens as writer seeks to navigate their way towards either sounding like the rest out there or opening a hybrid of various combinations.

With that in mind, music has reached its limit. But, the innobvative minds that can create with those limits has not reached its limit.

What I try to do when I write is to take conventions that are familiar and insert little oddities to throw someone off into thinking that they got my flow. That can be with the instrument voicings, melodies, counter/complimentary harmonies, or chordal arrangements.

Cheers!
RickeG

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Mac, I have a relative that can be labeled a "20th Century composer". Talk about making sounds regardless of what the outcome. He showed me a composition no time that had no time signature, no key signature. It was a mess! But, it's Ärtsy." I suppose I am not intellectual enough to understand that kind of anarchy I guess.

Last edited by RickeG; 09/16/12 06:44 PM.
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Quote:

If you allowed only one octave of notes (ie C to C) plus a rest,
and limited the timing to 16th notes, then for just one measure,
there are 2,177,953,337,809,371,136 combinations.

Allow two octaves, and the number rises to 43,608,742,899,428,874,059,776




BUT.... the question was "Is music finite"? And though you can come up with combinations into the sextillions, you CAN come up with a number, which makes it finite.

While it is not LIKELY we would ever see every combination in one generation, that math shows that music IS finite.

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G'day Eddie,
actually, what I think the math shows is what Larry called "countably infinite", you can always add another bar.

For mine, I can't help agreeing with Mac - it might be "infinite" but would you really want to listen to some of it..? I already don't wanna listen to some of it...


--=-- My credo: If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing - just ask my missus, she'll tell ya laugh --=--
You're only paranoid if you're wrong!
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Quote:

I have been writing a lot in the key of H lately.....




The key of "H" is not common but ok here (see my Location on the left) since "Bach" was able to play his name on the piano keyboard.


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Quote:

The key of "H" is not common but ok here (see my Location on the left) since "Bach" was able to play his name on the piano keyboard.




Not quite as easy with Wagner.....

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Yes, in some areas of the world such as Germany, there is indeed a key of "H" -- which I think is actually the key of "B".



--Mac

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Quote:

Yes, in some areas of the world such as Germany, there is indeed a key of "H" -- which I think is actually the key of "B".
--Mac



Yup, and what they call B we call Bb...


--=-- My credo: If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing - just ask my missus, she'll tell ya laugh --=--
You're only paranoid if you're wrong!
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