LUMATONE | Quick Answers | "How Do You Know Which Note is Which?"

[@stephensmith4025]

“Makes things simple….” Me: *drools blankly*

[@cgibbard]

It's definitely important to know how to find individual notes, but it's also worth emphasizing the fact that because intervals in pitch correspond to intervals in position on the keyboard, you quickly learn where your perfect fifth, perfect fourth, major and minor thirds are, etc. and then you can form chord shapes and put them anywhere. So there's a lot less need to think about what note each individual key is, if you're thinking in terms of what chords you're playing or what scale you're playing in. You kind of need to know where the tonic of the scale you're in is, or what the roots of chords are, but the individual notes in chords or scales you're used to, you don't have to think about -- they're just consequences of the shapes and your starting point. If you're like me, you'll more often find yourself thinking in the opposite direction: you'll know what notes to play because of their relative location and the shapes they make - the intervals and chord structure - and you'll only bother to figure out which exact notes those are when you're trying to communicate them to other people. I can put a Dmaj7 chord on the keyboard (just find D and place the chord shape) several times faster than it takes me to think through what individual notes are in a Dmaj7 chord, and even when I figure that out now (D F# A C#), there will be a shape on a hexagonal grid in my head, because it's such a nice representation to work with once you get used to it. This also applies to the ways in which you're moving between chords. The ways in which the shapes move and change also correspond to the way that the chord changes sound and feel, and as your brain builds that connection, note letters or even scale degrees will begin to seem like a bit of a clunky tool mostly for communicating the shapes in your head to others.

[@lumatone]

Yes, all of that is important to know. However the Quick Answers are geared toward being under 1:30 for social platform outreach, as well as keeping it in bite sizes to answer the very basic and fundamental questions folks have that have never seen this instrument before. These things will be covered, though one step at a time with these. We have longer form videos for more in depth topics.

[@cgibbard]

@@lumatone Ah, this wasn't so much intended as a criticism of the video, but more an extension of what you're saying there. :)

[@suomeaboo]

Hexagons are the bestagons!

[@isleofskye8073]

Yes

[@hrrld]

So good! I have actually wondered this exact thing watching the other videos on this channel. Great editing and examples, too. Thank you.

[@lumatone]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ValkyRiver]

Of course, I went with the Bosanquet layout but starting on A instead of C.

[@camtaylormusic]

Good call. I tried a bunch of different options, and think A works the best in general for most of the stuff I want to play. Occasionally it's nice to have some slightly lower notes, and F is another option too, but losing out on high F and G hasn't really been worth it most of the time.

[@ValkyRiver]

@@camtaylormusic I also realized that the Bosanquet layout starting on A fits very well, and I used it for my python script (that generates Bosanquet layouts)

[@BizarreStorm]

Will there be a cheaper version of this device for musicians interested in making microtonal music?

[@ZAWARUD00]

I'm fairly wealthy, but I don't want to put this insane amount in a keyboard. I'm sure it costs a few hundreds bucks/piece to produce.

[@jaydugger3291]

Thank you!

[@lumatone]

You bet!

[@annsophiefans1472]

Is that the one and only guy who could afford this keyboard?

[@wolfetteplays8894]

I like this better than standard tuning tbh

[@asourpo1yphony]

Ia there a way to selectively illuminate only the notes you want for a particular scale? This would be a great feature... i want one but frankly im intimidated by the number of keys and how theyre organized

[@camtaylormusic]

I think one thing that could have made this video even simpler is pointing out that in Bosanquet-Wilson, the natural notes, sharp notes and flat notes always have the same positions, and I think seeing that central "set" of 5 sharps + 7 naturals + 5 flats really helps orient oneself in any tuning with an okay perfect fifth. Even though the tuning of those central 17 notes shifts around depending on the exact size of the perfet fifth, all of our usual functional melody and harmony still works in much the same way, while smaller commas can help us distinguish different intonations in larger tunings. I've found I can use the colours to remind myself about intonation, e.g. cooler colours = slightly lower in pitch and warmer colours = slightly higher in pitch, while white = naturals and black = splitting the difference, like on the piano keyboard. Which gives me an idea for a video or slideshow moving between tunings from narrow to wide fifths, where we see those central 17 notes slowly change intonation, and other notes slowly morphing around them as we move through the usual diatonic range...

[@adelinasetiawan4962]

Why for the 12 TET the C sounds normal , but for the 31- TET the C sounds like C# ?

[@Jorgen.A0]

Me, colourblind, cry.

[@andybaldman]

Me, poor, cry.

[@jasonsummit1885]

I play a 5 row chromatic button accordion but the layout of your keyboard confuses me.

[@xardinlume7345]

Wait. I just realized that 31 EDO is basically a well tampered clavier with access to basically every note unlike actual keyboards?

[@mattz2372]

I have a question, why do some notes sound off tune? Love the instrument no hate❤❤

[@sivyx22]

doesnt look like anyones answered you, so ill try from my basic understanding: essentially, the notes on a traditional piano are tuned to 12 notes per octave. each note has its natural and a sharp/flat (they are interchangeable in the 12-note layout) the reason that some of these notes sound "off-tune" is because they break the traditional tuning of the 12 note piano. they are 100% in tune, it just deviates from the traditional tones that you hear in music. when a traditional piano falls out of tune, you can hear some of these semi tones. this is because there is no physical law defining what is in or out of tune. when the hammers hit the strings, the vibrations will create a sound, and those vibrations can vary infinitely. when you get your piano tuned, you are tuning it to that tradition 12 note per octave setup, otherwise known as 12TET. (i don't know what the TET stands for).

[@dominikclarke6545]

@@sivyx22tone equal temperament

[@Coolio_Ash]

Ooo.... Microtonal notes...

[@dariuscoolstuff]

Excuse me, **A DOUBLE SHARP???**

[@andybaldman]

That’s what it’s called in 31-EDO, because it’s a note between a traditional B flat and B. So you need a new term for those notes.

[@williamshears9953]

I'm desperately trying not to buy one of these, please don't do some videos with spectrasonics products like keyscape and omnisphere, it will force my hand for sure

[@Machinae_overture]

make this not 3500$ and i will buy one

[@izabelazielak8963]

I have only heard this noise machine online,but it sounds weird to me 😵‍💫

[@blopartDGRI]

More like : buy them and the price will go down ! 🤷‍♂️

[@tsiggy]

Have you sent one to Jacob Collier yet?

[@BatmanAoD]

He tweeted a picture after getting one in 2021, but I don't know if he's made any videos with it or performed on it.

[@allanmargolin]

One minute in…and I’m confused…