I Broke Music Theory
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- Опубликовано: 9 янв 2025
- Peering into the microtonal void that is Nonatonic & Tetratonic Orwell, and let me be the first to tell you... The 31 EDO music theory well is deep!
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#microtonal #microtonality #31edo #31tet #musictheory #musictheorylessons #microtone #xenharmonic #xenharmonics #tetratonic #nonatonic #orwelltemperament #orwell9
A quick note on the phrase "I broke music theory" and other corrections, but first! If you liked this video, please consider supporting my work on Patreon! www.patreon.com/LeviMcClain
A little while ago, I made a video where the thumbnail said something like "I broke music theory". The video was on some basic principles of harmony in 31 EDO. Mainly Supermajor, Subminor and Neutral qualities of different chords. That video is one of the best performing on this channel and has been a real conduit to reach a larger audience with some of these really cool, left field ideas. The chief critique on that video, one that I (probably fairly) got roasted alive for was that I failed to pay homage to all those who came before me with a lot of these ideas. After all, I did not invent the idea of the subminor chord. I also did not intend to make it seem like I was claiming this, because... like obviously I did not invent the Subminor chord. That said, I'd like to properly acknowledge the giants of old in 31 EDO theory that make all of what we build on today possible: Nicola Vicentino, Christiaan Huygens, & Adriaan Fokker. A video about each and their contributions to this robust system of music is on the horizon. Also would like to acknowledge Gene Ward Smith who I understand first coined the concept of Orwell. Music theory is the words and language that we use to talk about music. It's descriptive, not prescriptive, so I'm not exactly sure what it means to "break it". When I say "I Broke Music Theory" I mean something like: I would like to show you the way I approach and understand music, which is likely a little different from how you most likely approach and understand music. The grandioseness of this claim is meant to express how insanely cool I think all of this stuff is, and helps to stand out in a world entrenched in 12. The click bait-y nature of the title is unfortunate, but this is what works in an algorithm controlled world. I think the trade off is worth while in good faith.
Corrections:
Edostep 14 (542c) should be labeled as G half sharp, not G sesquisharp.
Why it isn’t prescritive?
Is there any reasons why you don't publish music on spotify ?
@LeviMcClain I've still to read this note of yours to your video, but I'd like to say already that your challenge to try these scales appeals to me. But I'd like to say too that, while these stuff of polychromatic (Dololres Catherino @dolomuse ), and several EDO, and the lot of microtonal music I've listed from the lumatone commercials, sound to me out of tune, the microtonal music from Mike Battaglia and turkish musicians I've listened to, already does not, without any training or adaptation period... What's going on there, then???
...
Now I read your note: I like a lot the point you make of 'Music theory is descriptive, not prescriptive'. I actually read the same idea on the classical books from Walter Piston.
@@LearnCompositionOnline Actually, Levi's comment looks a lot like a citation on classics music theory books from Walter Piston, e.g.
While restrictions make sense in order to promote creativity, mandatory rules make no sense in any art field (other than the engineering knowledge to perform a technique, or to craft an instrument, to say, which are growable, though)
This explanation doesn't save you from the criticism that your title is untrue clickbait. Everything you described IS music theory. All theory about music is.
All of a sudden that "music theory is witchcraft" video lookin a lot more literal.
so true!! I love it. It has that ethereal feeling of the void from which it came
I've got a bachelors in theology and a masters in electrical engineering. It's witchcraft. But I'm here for it.
i literally just came from that video LMAO
@@KS-pi1kt i found it after this comment, now I get the reference.
It is tho
Came for the brain breaking theory, stayed for classical bass
Always gotta stay for classical bass
@@LeviMcClain can we please get a piece in orwell[9] on streaming platforms/bandcamp? Would be willing to donate extra for that bass 🎸
It looks and sounds amazing
Wow, great video. Honestly it definitely sounds better than just being out of tune. I think there is definitely a type of musician that gravitates towards this stuff solely to be "weird" but I feel you're exploring it more genuinely in search of a broader sense of real music that is beautiful beyond just being different.
This is an incredibly thoughtful and kind comment. Thank you!
👍
Here to back up OP's comment. Keep it up!!!
Literally 1984
The length some people will go for the puns 🤌
@@LeviMcClain I'm interested to hear your thoughts on music's ability to influence human emotion. Does music theory cover this form of "spell casting"?
how many fingers Winston?
Ignite the piano!
Your Orwell (4) song is so hauntingly beautiful, and surprisingly kind of folky!
Thank you so much!
@@LeviMcClain Ver interesting video and would love to hear a full song separately of what you already have in the video.
Have you seen this video:
Microtonal Metal (easy mode)
Ben Levin
He does something interesting, uses 48 tet tuning setting and another set to regular 12
then he triggers them at the same time and discovers some useful unpredictable interactions.
I think most music takes into account the limits of the ear.
We have 12 notes but the music we make tends to center around 5 or 7 notes
"key" and then with chord changes there are some departures
So when we are using much higher divisions of the octave like 31 or 48
we can let that unfold into it's full complexity
OR try to restrict the complexity in a similar way by only selecting 5 to say 8
notes taken out of the 31 or 48 and compose with only that smaller set for a while
and maybe if there are chord changes expand it to say 11-13 notes of the 31 or 48
the intent being to make the music more digestible to our ears and sense of order
and also using a lot of repetition for the same reason.
And there is always the weight of the harmonic series to consider the Mixolydian mode is consonant with the first 10 harmonics of the harmonic series (the 11th harmonic, a tritone, is not in the Mixolydian mode). The Ionian mode is consonant with only the first 6 harmonics of the series (the seventh harmonic, a minor seventh, is not in the Ionian mode).
It would be dope for a mystery or supernatural series or movie
This is the first microtunal music that made sense to my ears. It's super cool!
And made sense of what microtonal music is. Very interesting!
The Acoustic Rabbit Hole is already composing a minimalist piece for it! It's called "Micro-chondria!"
@@Acoustic-Rabbit-Hole I love the name!!
@@davidrobinson7260My note-to-color music theory claims identity specific emotions that come out of specific keys. Check it out!
i think our ears will get more comfortable with microtones in our lifetime, 12 is getting boring imo
I just can't express how deeply astonished I was, hearing the hauntingly alluring the tune in orwell[9]. Awestriking, eye-opening, no words can epitomise the profound beauty of microtonal music; it's not the first time I've heard xenharmonic piece, but the way you harmonized the tones seems to me, a non-musician - just an avid listener, as a great accomplishment on your part, and although I do not understand the theory, the majestic and charming motif of your composition had deeply altered my understanding of this music category.
Great commentary on this
The guy expresses himself and me as a absolute poet@@mikegeld1280
It’s also worth mentioning for anyone who’s getting into microtonality for the first time; that you could just start listening to more Middle Eastern music, since they have a ton of modes full of notes that do not fit within our 12 note system. Microtonality isn’t some entirely new creation. It’s just no longer within the European musical cannon.
I love the feeling of discovering a channel right before it blows up. keep up the good work!
Appreciate the kind words man, thank you!
Microtonalist here too, love how you bring this to more people, it seems to be very successful!
Is the female voice on those songs Zheanna Erose?!
Bro, I finally understand 31 TET much better. The sub sets and selected intervals just made it click in my mind so much. And before it always seemed to me like the song was in tune with out of tune notes, but the way you did this created tones I've never heard before. You are truly a blessing to nerds like me, thank you!
Yeah working with small scales does wonders, you can often learn interval relationships better. And then you can ask: what if I want this a little bit modified? what if I want to modulate? And bam you use more or less the entire tuning.
…well I suppose that’s one way how it can happen. I haven’t worked with 31edo, it’s a bit too big for me right now; I experimented with 17, 19 etc. because it’s easier to jam with on a 49-key keyboard (when you want all notes).
I don't how you showed up in my feed, but I am so pleased. I took Electronic Music at Brown University in the late 70s. Your music is sonically beautiful and intellectually fascinating. I have the lyrics to a country song that would employ this structure to full effect. It's a about a drunk whose life I saved in a McDonald's parking lot. He emerged from some bush and staggered and fell under the rear wheel of a car driven by an elderly man about to exit the premises. The harmonies could have fun with this lyric. I "subscibed" all.
So ridiculously talented, I struggle to comprehend it, fuck. Well done.
Meh filler. Like, 6:20. He couldn't even make the light look the same.
Skilled and knowledgeable*
I wasn't ready for how amazing this video is
Just got into theory and you make me feel so slow, in the best way. It’s nice to see people still question and push boundaries. I’m gonna come back to this video again and again till I can understand all the concepts amazing work friend.
I'm assuming this is a new channel because there are a little over 10K subscribers but this guy will blow up for sure. This is incredible.
Nahhh I’ve been around for a minute 😅
But thank you!
With how much you "shrunk your niche" I'm surprised this ended up in my feed so soon. And you found a big fan this is awesome!
That has a quality of familiarity from the deep in me. Haunting yet comforting.
that acoustic bass sounds fucking amazing
your composotion style is so perfect with microtonality
Thank you! I wonder if the microtonality informs my composition style or the other way around 🤔
I love this! I was deep into atonal, electronic, music myself about 25 years ago, I’ve written quite a few pieces and have built several interactive music installations, but ended up in a different career altogether. So this, your creativity and enthusiasm, is in some ways reminding me of that almost lost piece of myself.
I can't wait for you to release an album. This is amazing music and I want to listen to it all day
I recently learned about oreintal music and how it's much more complex then what we think thanks to mircotoning etc...
This video solidified the idea that there is a large world of unexplored music and untapped potential.
Seeing what you've done, I'm very optimistic about the future of music!
The subject is fascinating and the visual production is stunning... but the two musical compositions, they really hit it out of the park. They are both quite simple at their heart, but you embrace each one for what it is and are not scared to be both playful and try to see how far you can get with it. That shows a lot. Of course everything can always be better -the script is good, but not quite at the same level as everything else-, but there's such a broad display of incredible talents in this video that it would be criminal to ask for more from a single human. Keep it up, you definitely deserve every bit of success that comes your way.
Half of my body is trying to cringe at the awkward sounds these notes are playing. While the other half is listening with Mild Goosebumps but Major Intrigue
That was a great educational video but your compositions were above and beyond my expectations. Excellent productions, Levi!
Thank you!!
very high quality video production and sick keyboard also holy shit amazing voice the orwell 4 example was really beautiful and haunting
Hey Nerds, that was fun. I like your perspective. Thanks.
omg this video is so well built.
Thank you. Been trying out new formats recently, I think this one turned out okay!
The moment you said septimal seventh, I was sold on this tuning... its my favorite interval
Loved the demonstration of 9-orwell, thank you so much for delivering material in such simple, visally appealing way. Microtonality is a rabbit hole yet it broadens the musical horizons insanely, your videos made me very interested in this topic, so thanks again!
1984 is a perfect description. I can see a form of this being used as a scene right out of Orwell's book.
I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment that one will simply get used to the sound. For a couple years now I have been playing in 24-TET, I can honestly say that at the beginning I genuinely thought it all sounded out of tune. But now, my ears have accustomed to the neutral sounds so that to me they are simply other completely separate notes that harmonise in different ways. Albeit, most of my playing is still melodic rather than harmonic, I do occasionally use trichords or dichords to pack more into my playing.
this channel deserves so much more than 10k subs! great work!
Wow, this video is fantastic. Inspiring on so many levels. I love what you are doing here!
Thank you so much!
Got dayum how am I just finding you now? You sir, are an amazing person, musician and nerd. Thank you for all that you do.
its at 31 likes and i wanna like it but i don't want to change it......
Don’t do it, the synchronicity is too good
It's alright, we will get 31k likes
Look, you have 31 likes.
And now 2x31 ...for your remark😊
This sounds awesome! I would describe microtonal music as "Avant Garde" - (new and unusual or experimental ideas, especially in the arts). The Orwell 9 tuning sounds very useful for Psychedelic Rock, Psy-Trance, New Age, Psychic, Paranormal, Spiritual, Ethereal Music, Fantasy Theatrical Score depicting elves, dragons, wizards, angels, demons, ghosts, spirits, magic, and Sci-Fi Cinematic Theatrical Score depicting time travel, interstellar travel, aliens, UFO's, alternate realities, and entities from other dimensions of existence. I could imagine this used in movies and TV series similar to "The Twilight Zone", "Outer Limits", "The X-Files", etc. 🔥
I just watched this 3 times, and I'm still tripping on it. Wow. I thought I knew what music was.
the vocal stuff is particularly haunting. wonderful video!
This is the greatest invention for occult rock. I can't even imagine, what sound will fit it better.
The production on this is really excellent- MoS scales finally clicked for me so thank you
Thank you!!
The fact that you manage to create so beautiful pieces of music out of those exotic scales impressed me a lot! Fantastic job!
Thanks, dear gods of the Algorithm, for bestowing upon me this gift of a channel.
And thank you for the video! Everything is right up my alley, your production is great and I love your songwriting, too!
Fascinating scale and you made some really cool jams with it. 6:00 nonatonic infinity opens the door.
Gizz 😎
This idea makes a lot of sense and will become popular. We have probably already wrote most of the breathtaking stuff from 12TET, Just Intonation, Octonic etc. The last 900 years amazing composers have composed. Music has become stagnant and popular music is ridiculous and abysmal. I have 2 musical ideas I will manifest in 12TET. Then I plan on doing stuff like this.
Love this, dude. Hope this channel blows up.
I'm no musician. I didn't understand most of what you said, but dang, the music was otherworldly. it was amazing.
Thanks for this beatifully explained and made video
you can tell this channel is underrated af within the very first 5 minutes. you have great taste and passion.
This is one of those channel that will blow up years later
The Acoustic Rabbit Hole.
Agreed, definitely ahead of its time
What a fabulous presentation and explanation of microtonality. I've always been fascinated by scales other than "ours" and the musical textures and intervals they can provide. Thank you for your work.
Man, the piano arpeggios in the build hit so f*****g hard! 6:07
6:30 strong warframe vibes holy shit... this is beautiful, i feel like i'm blind to so much music out there and i like to think i listen to all kinds of music, but i just see myself staring out into the colorful void of stars and galaxies of all kinds of music
Great video - and song/jam examples. Very pretty. Still partway through, but just noticing the table of notes for Orwell[9] has a tiny error, that fourth should probably be G‡ (at 14\=542c as it says), and not G‡# (which would be 16\=619c).
I really like the orwell[4] example, but it really sounds like the tonic is at 21\, so maybe you could have rotated the diagram to show us a better picture of what we hear (a sort of major sixth chord with a sub fifth and supermajor sixth, and actually a lot like a shrunken version of 4:5:6:7 or a dominant seven) - 0\=0c - 10\ = 387c - 17\ = 658c - 24\ = 929c
Holy hell that keyboard with modular keys is super cool, I wish more keyboards out there could do that!
Noooooooooooo, you are so right! Good catch! I’ll add it to the corrections, thanks man!
@@LeviMcClain Also the accidental (#) from the last note (C#) is missing. And F#+ would be better spelled as Gb. Anyway, excellent video, lush sounds and cool instruments.
I myself enjoy working with 16-tone equal temperament, which includes neutral seconds at 150 cents, and neutral sevenths at 1050 cents. I have absolute pitch in base-12, and I am training my ears to have absolute pitch in base-16. I can identify G half sharp and G quarter flat, as well as D quarter sharp and F quarter sharp. I'm puzzled by 31-EDO, not because I'm not interested in the idea, I just feel like prime-numbered temperaments scare me. You are a very talented man! Respect to you.
Very exciting speech Levi , + superb playing !
Amazing video! I had heard of microtonal sounds, but never thought that there was sucha deep world there. Thanks for showing the beatifuk world of microtonal music!!
This is awesome. Technical systems and vocabulary aside, the musical examples are artistic and utilize aesthetics that are not only demonstrative but also emotive in ways not possible with 12TET.
it all sounds so good, very musical.
🙏🙏🙏
bruh.... these are exactly the harmonics that tickle my brain. THANK YOU!
Listening to your piece in Orwell 9 oddly enough reminded me of the Gamelan inspirations used in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom's "Faron Temple." It's WILD how these completely different modes and microtonalities and other words I don't entirely understand can translate to very similar sounds but in totally different fonts. Music theory is fuckin cracked.
Orwell[9]is truly a great temperament. I first heart it in Sevish's "Droplet"
Now I have 2 favorite songs to that name
Check out Löis Lancaster if you haven’t
this rocks. awesome decision with the 31tone coupled with the acoustic bass. goes so well together
Sevish was the first artist whose music made start to “hear the tuning.” Great video. Loved the vocal harmonies.
Eerie. Ethereal. Now I have a new thing to explore. Thanks.
tavi.
I'm impressed by your ear. Singing in microtones must be difficult.
That’s why we have melodyne 😅😂
Holy moly, I love this! Dude, write a death metal album in that system!
Your so about to blow up on RUclips. Just take what you have hear and try to apply to do more mainstream ideas, and you’ll be on everyone’s recommended
i've never been so simultaneously inspired and discouraged
holy moly this is really really really really really good
Wow, loved how it sounded!
Sir, I thank you for your level of understanding and for also being able to translate it well to layperson and expert alike. This was an amazing introduction to world's I'd never have known about otherwise. [SUB]
I'm so glad you're here saying all the things I want to but don't have the eloquence. I value your presence in this alien world
btw guys noteflight can use quarter tones under the 1/4 bend under the "tabs" section in the palettes dropdpwn. It cant do this, but it can allow access to 24 tet
This is brilliant on so many levels... awesome work Levi !
Have you heard of the Belgian quarter-tone pianist Seppe Gebruers? I recently came across his videos. He improvises with two pianos tuned a quarter-tone apart, and plays very unconventional versions of jazz standards like 'In a Sentimental Mood' and 'You and the Night and the Music.' I had never heard anything like it in that context-so surreal. That’s how I ended up here looking for more information. Thanks for the video. the best J.
It would be great to have an in-depth video video explaining some of these terminologies (maybe that's a Patrion thing, I'll have to check it out :) ). Loved your microtonal pieces, wonderful to hear that sort of thing and hope to hear more! Keep it up :)
Really cool video. Makes me want to try 31 edo as well
Very talented man, thank you for sharing your work
wow, that could actually be the future sound we've all been looking for
imagine that, start a song in standard 12-tone, then just mask the "out of tune" moment with some transition and sound design, give the listener a little time to adapt, then like start a new section of the song in orwell tuning
My thoughts exactly
It would be all AI generated.
@@davidbachy5627 that might actually be the last thing AI will ever learn to generate. The way human brain adapts to changes in temperament.
Great groove in that tune you made, and your video’s mighty good, too! Thanks 😎🍷
PLEASE MAKE THE BACKGROUND SONG A FULL SONG I BEGGGGG
EDIT: Make like a fully song of the music in the beginning ofnthe video, but also make a song with all the music you played it was magical, like best music I’ve heard almost
You have done something rather amazing. You took something that I previously had very little knowledge or necessarily any interest in and made in interest in it withing ten minutes. Which is likely optimal as I might have gotten bored if it went too all out too soon.
I loveeeeeeee your videos about microtonality
Thank you so much my dude!
If you have geometry and symmetry then you can have 100 note equal temperament, you will always find the harmonies when you connect each note to every other note, in a Complete Graph/Mystic Rose!
Eerie delight, this nonatonic stuff.
You're a genius!
I also like to build up scales with septimal intervals, but I somehow stopped at pentatonics. Need to check out more. Hope this principle also works in 72tet thinking, because that's currently the preferred way in which I try to understand microtonality.
9:07 The RUclipsr told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.
That’s… not what I said, pls watch again 🙏
THIS SOUNDS SO COOL WHAT
you, sir, are a genius- new fascination unlocked
I love writing and playing music with my micro-tonal modular system in Eurorack. (My Tubbutec uTune module is the brains. It has most scales pre-programmed but I can also make custom scales).
But I haven't really found a MIDI controller that I like for less than $5K.
I settled on a LinnStrument because I can customize the scales and light patterns on the device and it has an isomorphic layout mode as well.
Things get really interesting when I use a random CV generator (Turing machine) to create random microtonal melodies until I dial in something that sounds special 🙂
Hello 31edo guy nice to hear from you again 🔬🔊
Also totally agree with the final thought, sometimes I feel that people just forget that you shouldn’t expect just to like or dislike new stuff right off the bat, that’s a way to ruin your life and relationships; no, you learn to be good at things the same way as you get your taste sophisticated. Give it some trying and only then make a verdict, now having experience to back it up and reasons to hold in your head, not just randomness of being in a mood. So if things look or sound weird but you’re not in any danger in other regards, why not savor it and explore the sensorium and echoes in your head? It can be an experience worth living through even if you don’t end up coming to an affinity. Having harmless things to feel conflicted about is _good_. We need to be more considerate and curious; frankly we have on average way more time for this today than in the previous ages. (At least those of us who have time to drop dubious comments definitely do.) 🙂
How do I trick RUclips into treating my videos this way? 😅 Great music again my guy, the visuals and singing are especially nice with this one!!!
One must simply break music theory I guess 😂
Thanks man!!
@@LeviMcClain LOL
As a microtonal nerd... I appreciate videos like this that bring it more into people's awareness. Excellent video
It sounds so creepy yet calming at the same time
Some of that sounded pretty cool man. I got an oud, and saz baglama, so i am familiar with microtonal. Keep it up brother
Hi, Levi. I just wanted to say that your video is really amazing, and I love all of the concepts explored in it. /gen
The little compositions that you made for this were hauntingly beautiful - which leads me to ask a question, as politely as I possibly can, if that's okay. Could we possibly have an extended version of the piece at 0:38 that you showed us? It sent chills down my spine, and it felt like something I'd have heard in the 90s. It would be wonderful to hear it as a full song. Please don't ever feel pressured by one random commenter on RUclips - and I hope that you're having a good day.
I appreciate your sense of humor and tonality. I'd love to collaborate with you on a music theory program that I've been writing - to make it more complete.
Aw shit, 'is it interesting?' brought a tear to my eye. Legit, I'm a Cancer rising. I only watch these type of videos because something I'm leaning towards called 'voicing', is what gives me a floating feeling, if I'm standing I must sit or risk falling over. Happens randomly so I haven't pinpointed the phenomena exactly.
We should never lose sight of the fact that music is entertainment. Create in light of that initial spark that compelled you to spend your life doing this stuff in the first place. If it gets you the results of bringing you joy, it is the way. Stay blessed, earth movers, bass weavers, and sacred ear hole exciters. Huh?