I'm new to this list. This topic immediately got my attention because of some surprising statements related to music theory that were posed.
On Thu, Jul 12, 2012 at 5:42 PM, Rustom Mody <rustompmody@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I recently got into an argument (on the python list so more OT there than here :-) ) about whether a B# is the same as C. If we allow that they may not always be the same then we have a case where the theory-of-musical-harmony (may be) breaking.
I don't understand what you mean with "theory-of-musical-harmony". Not intended to repeat an earlier discussion on another list, but C and B# are definitely not the same. They happen to represent the same frequency in equal temperament but that's all. On keyboards with 12 fixed pitches per octave (like a piano) they will also be represented by the same key, whether tempered equal, according to Werckmeister's theories or else. However theoretically they are different notes. That's one big part of the problem piano tuners have to deal with. Very recently I published an external for Pure Data (http://student-kmt.hku.nl/~funs/software.html) that translates midi notes to frequency with a variable semitone and a settable modulation (set of notes to be represented by the 12 keys). One of its effects is that B# and C represent a different frequency unless a semitone is exactly set to half a whole tone (like in equal temperament, equal division in 12). I don't feel anything breaking in any case, or I might have understood you wrong.
--Funs
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