16-EDO Guitar #1

This guitar was converted from a Fender Squier by Ron Sword (www.swordguitars.com).

16-EDO is a fascinating system, in which the fifth and fourth are quite dissonant, but the major third (fifth harmonic) and the subminor seventh (seventh harmonic) are very well in-tune, as are their inversions. The supermajor second, the inversion of the subminor seventh, divides the fifth into three equal parts. The minor third and major sixth are the same as in 12-tET, and there are four intervals from the quarter-tone system as well: the neutral seventh, the sub-fourth (halfway between a major third and a fourth), the super-fifth (halfway between a fifth and a minor sixth), and the neutral seventh.

All things considered, 16-EDO is a superb harmonic system, offering a broad interval spectrum with a few strong consonances, a few strong dissonances, and a few ambiguous intervals. In my opinion, it provides one of the best balances between the three types of intervals of all the EDOs. It is a strong contrast with 12-tET, which features very few dissonances and no ambiguous intervals, and so is very limited in its emotional palette. 16-EDO is incompatible with the traditional diatonic scale, but a circle of 16-EDO fifths produces a 7-note scale with the opposite shape to the diatonic scale: ssTsssT instead of TTsTTTs.

In this video, I explore 16-EDO in an unsystematic fashion, demonstrating some of the more bizarre harmonic possibilities and chromatic alterations. In future videos, I will explore some of the specific scale families.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Microtonal
• 16-tone
• 16-EDO
• 16-ET
• 16-tET
• Acoustic Guitar
• Ron Sword
• Sword Guitars
• City of the Asleep
• Igliashon
• Xenharmonic

[sevishmusic]

Extraordinarily colourful music Igs... :-) I really need to check the mavila scale out but I can't find any music to hear what it sounds like. Hoping to hear more 16-edo soon.

[igliashon]

@sevishmusic Well, the first track on "Map of an Internal Landscape" is in 16-EDO Mavila. I've got a ton of 16-EDO music on the way, it's become my EDO of choice!

[andrew19vato]

very strange music but some good ideas nonetheless

[MsTejanita]

Have enjoyed your music on your website as well as on Split-Note!

[JLMoriart]

Sweet stuff man