The Blues Scale is Wrong! (maybe)

Hey guys, please forgive the clickbait-ey title, I couldn't help myself =P In this new video

I consider an alternative "enharmonic spelling" for the blues scale, and then show the differences between it and the original spelling in quarter-comma meantone tuning (where the enharmonic "equivalents" have different pitches).

I'd love to hear what you all think about the two. Any questions please feel free to ask!

@robinjessome

*shrug* 

To-may-to, to-mah-to.

Also, if you're worrying about playing jazz with a proper quarter-comma meantone tuning system, then you're doing it wrong.

Plus, I play trombone...so, I pretty much ONLY play in quarter-tones and out-of-meantone-tuning anyways!  ;)

11 hours ago, robinjessome said:

Also, if you're worrying about playing jazz with a proper quarter-comma meantone tuning system, then you're doing it wrong.

 

 

I'm not so much "worrying" about it as much as I am intrigued by the melodic nuances that show up in the tuning system (some of which are reflected in blues performance). If someone finds it melodically expressive to play their augmented seconds smaller, or finds it harmonically expressive to tune the "minor seventh" (aug-6) and "minor third" (aug-2) flat, then this is a relatively simple model that takes that into account and still maintains all of your standard western tonal relationships.

If you'd like to hear the dramatic difference the tuning can make (which might make it worth "worrying" about), check out a piece I wrote that takes advantage of quarter-comma meantone's blues scale and higher-limit harmonies. Starts at 3:23:

I don't doubt that the theoretical ideas are interesting, it's just that this type of "high-theory" isn't my bag. I didn't mean to sound negative - what you're demonstrating is neat :P

It's also something that top-level players kindof do automatically. A great big band lead trumpet will ride a little sharp on some notes to make it a little brighter and shine through. And sure, the blues scale feels better when you bend some notes one way or another - perhaps due to the physics of what you're exploring.

In practice though, I doubt trying to define and use these concepts in any meaningful way will be easy ;)