The foundational principle of the Diano is that it simulates vibrating strings that can be divided anywhere along their length AND it uses both of those notes as building blocks for new scales. The dividers, the tunings of the strings, the number of strings, the octave length, and even the mapping of the keys is flexible, intuitive, and instantaneous. This allows you to create scales using mathematics OR that tool they call your ear.
But along with the novel individual notes, there is a relational structure created between the notes owing to the method of their creation. For example, notes created on the same string could be next to each other on the keyboard even if they are not the next higher note. There are infinite possibilities, especially when "re-working" other compositions because it is possible to highlight interesting relationships in one scale that do not exist in another.
I call the works below "sketches" because they haven't been properly recorded or mixed. Nonetheless, here they are, some "Diano Works", I hope you enjoy them.
This somewhat haunting scale is based on dividing the string at 1/17 and 1/15, but remember that the Diano includes the other side of the divider, so you also hear 16/17, and 14/15, as well. I liked the relationship of these four notes so much that I made the "Octave" the 4th root of 2 (meaning 1.189207 or 300 cents), so that you get three groups of those notes in every "traditional" octave.
This composition uses 5 strings. The dividers are placed at the 11ths which makes string one 1/11 and 10/11, string two 2/11 and 9/11, string three 3/11 and 8/11, string four 4/11 and 7/11 and string five is 5/11 and 6/11. The Octaves are standard (2 or 1200 cents), so it's pretty straightforward.
Just in case anyone thought microtonal music was incompatible with Rock and Roll, I noticed that the composition above had an almost Rock and Roll feel, so I made a version with guitars. I offer this barely constrained piece with the same "11ths" scale, to those who would presuppose that one mustn't "rockout" in the microtonal world. Besides, it's "11"!
This one was based on an 8 string configuration. Upon hearing it the first time, my wife said "Not a crack to escape through." I knew she was referring to the rather "full spectrum barrage" this piece presents, rather than her own instinct at the moment.
I'm continuing to work on more scales and compositions for them, and I appreciate your feedback.
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