Compositional theory: Difference between revisions
From Xenharmonic Reference
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== Importance == | == Importance == | ||
The concept of a xen theory is distinct from ''tuning theory'' in that you | The concept of a xen theory is distinct from ''tuning theory'' in that tuning theory tells you | ||
* cent values; what chords, structures, and [[JI]]/[[DR]] (approximations or not) various tuning systems have | * cent values in a tuning; what chords, structures, and [[JI]]/[[DR]] (approximations or not) various tuning systems have | ||
* LCJI is a psychoacoustic effect | * LCJI is a psychoacoustic effect | ||
* DR is a psychoacoustic effect | * DR is a psychoacoustic effect | ||
Revision as of 18:48, 30 March 2026
A xen theory is a musical framework that governs the way tuning-related elements are used in music, analogous to Western 12edo functional harmony.
Importance
The concept of a xen theory is distinct from tuning theory in that tuning theory tells you
- cent values in a tuning; what chords, structures, and JI/DR (approximations or not) various tuning systems have
- LCJI is a psychoacoustic effect
- DR is a psychoacoustic effect
These things don't tell you how to write music any more than an understanding of human color vision or the ways colors mix tells you how to make visual art. In contrast, a xen theory, or xen theories, tell you how to write music. Absent such a theoretical framework, one might unintentionally copy 12edo frameworks when writing xen music, though using elements of Western 12edo theory in xen music isn't inherently bad, as long as they're used intentionally.
Examples
Examples of xen theories:
- Jaimbee's 13edo oneirotonic functional harmony (see the 13edo article)
- CellularAutomaton's xenmodalism, which can be summed as "depict the emotion/scenery/setting/event using the chords or modes you/the listeners associate with the feelings"
