On 26/05/16 10:43, Olivier Biot wrote: > > > On Thursday, 26 May 2016, Michael Hendry <hendry.mich...@gmail.com > <mailto:hendry.mich...@gmail.com>> wrote: > > I seem to have struck an interesting chord, here! > > > Definitely! > > > Another phenomenon about which I have doubts involves people who > claim that when they hear music in “sharp” keys (e.g. G, D, A, E) > their experience is of brightness, while the flat keys make for a > more sombre sound. I’ve even heard in a radio interview that this > applies to F# and Gb (the one bright, the other dull). > > > I experience the same from a string player's perspective. But in my > humble opinion it is a combination of 2 factors. One depends on > harmonics induced in the instrument played, the other is a more > subjective element: often 'sharper' keys tend to play music at a higher > pitch too, which results to brightening of the music played. Maybe > because a lot of written music wanders around the natural scale of the > clef, which goes up 1 full tone per 2 extra sharps (circle of fifths).
Don't forget, G# and Fb are NOT the same note. And once you move away from percussion instruments (yes, the piano IS a percussion instrument) most instruments can tweak their pitch. Okay, instruments like the orchestral strings and the trombone can play an infinitely variable pitch, but - in the hands of a good player - pretty any much instrument can vary the pitch to some extent. I've heard of brass players who could "bend" the pitch by over a tone! So any orchestra or band will tend NOT to play "well tempered", and that could explain the brightness or dullness. Cheers, Wol _______________________________________________ lilypond-user mailing list lilypond-user@gnu.org https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/lilypond-user
