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Microtonality
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==Microtonality in rock music== Early microtonal guitars focused on issues with the 12-tone equal temperament system. In 1829, Thomas Perronet Thompson designed the Enharmonic Guitar that featured small holes where frets could be inserted. Later developments from Luthier René Lacôte and Paul Kochendorfer include an adjustable ebony-mounted frets and levers to simultaneously adjust multiple frets.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Acet |first=Ruşen Can |last2=Başar |first2=Batuhan |last3=Çoğulu |first3=Tolgahan |last4=Çoğulu |first4=Atlas |last5=Italia |first5=Tony |last6=Keser |first6=Selçuk |date=2022-06-30 |title=New Additions to the Guitar Family: Lego and Automatic Microtonal Guitars |url=https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/musicologist/issue/70373/1079674 |journal=Musicologist |language=en |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=27-28 |doi=10.33906/musicologist.1079674 |issn=2618-5652}}</ref> A form of microtone known as the [[blue note]] is an integral part of [[rock music]] and one of its predecessors, the blues. The blue notes, located on the third, fifth, and seventh notes of a diatonic major scale, are flattened by a variable microtone.<ref>{{cite book | last = Ferguson | first = Jim | author-link = Jim Ferguson | year = 1999 | title = All Blues Soloing for Jazz Guitar: Scales, Licks, Concepts & Choruses | series = Guitar Master Class | location = Pacific, Missouri, USA | publisher = Mel Bay | isbn = 0-7866-4285-8 | page = 20}}</ref> Joe Monzo has made a microtonal analysis of the song "Drunken Hearted Man",<ref>{{cite web | last = Monzo | first = Joe | date = 1998 | url = http://tonalsoft.com/monzo/rjohnson/drunken.aspx | title = A Microtonal Analysis of Robert Johnson's "Drunken Hearted Man"}}</ref> written and recorded by the delta blues musician [[Robert Johnson]].<ref name="Wilson-Penderecki-Greenwood-2012">{{cite episode | last1 = Wilson | first1 = John | first2 = Krzysztof | last2 = Penderecki | author2-link = Krzysztof Penderecki | first3 = Jonny | last3 = Greenwood | author3-link = Jonny Greenwood | title = Interview with Jonny and Krzysztof Penderecki | series = Front Row | air-date = 23 March 2012 | station = BBC Radio 4 | transcript = Transcript from an audio recording of the broadcast on Citizen Insane website | url = http://www.citizeninsane.eu/t2012-03-23BBCRadio4.htm | access-date = 21 July 2014 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150923203752/http://www.citizeninsane.eu/t2012-03-23BBCRadio4.htm | archive-date = 23 September 2015}}</ref> Musicians such as [[Jon Catler]] have incorporated microtonal guitars like [[31 equal temperament|31-tone equal tempered]] guitar and a 62-tone [[just intonation]] guitar in blues and [[jazz rock]] music.<ref>{{cite web | last = Couture | first = François | date = n.d. | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/evolution-for-electric-guitar-and-orchestra-mw0000979771 | title = Jon Catler: Evolution for Electric Guitar and Orchestra | work = AllMusic | access-date = 3 April 2013}}</ref> English rock band [[Radiohead]] has used microtonal string arrangements in their music, such as on "How to Disappear Completely" from the album ''[[Kid A]]''.<ref name="Wilson-Penderecki-Greenwood-2012"/> American band [[Secret Chiefs 3]] has been making its own custom "microtonal" instruments since the mid 1990s. The proprietary tuning system they use in their ''[[Ishraqiyun]]'' aspect is ratio-based, not equal temperament. The band's leader [[Trey Spruance]], also of [[Mr. Bungle]], challenges the terminology of "microtonality" as a development that instead of liberating tonal sensibility to a universe of diverse possibilities, both new and historical, instead mainly serves to reinforce the idea that the universal standard for "tone" is the (western) semitone.<ref><nowiki>{{cite web | url = </nowiki>[https://music.mxdwn.com/2015/11/10/reviews/secret-chiefs-3-ishraqiyun-perichoresis/ h] https://www.trebuchet-magazine.com/secret-chiefs-3-interview-with-trey-spruance/</ref> Australian band [[King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard]] utilises microtonal instruments, including custom microtonal guitars modified to play in [[Quarter tone|24-TET tuning]]. Tracks with these instruments appear on their 2017 albums ''[[Flying Microtonal Banana]]''<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.heavenlyrecordings.com/news/2016/11/king-gizzard-announce-a-new-album-flying-microtonal-banana/ | title = King Gizzard Announce a New Album, 'Flying Microtonal Banana' | author = Heavenly Recordings | date = 11 November 2016 | work = Heavenly Records | access-date = 29 March 2017 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161211175037/http://www.heavenlyrecordings.com/news/2016/11/king-gizzard-announce-a-new-album-flying-microtonal-banana/ | archive-date = 11 December 2016}}</ref> and ''[[Gumboot Soup]]'', their 2020 album ''[[K.G. (album)|K.G]]'', and their 2021 album ''[[L.W. (album)|L.W.]]''<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.dailycal.org/2021/03/04/l-w-proves-king-gizzard-the-lizard-wizard-can-master-microtonality-a-third-time/| title = 'L.W.' proves King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard can master microtonality a third time | author = Pooja Bale | date = 4 April 2021 | work = The Daily Californian | access-date = 4 April 2021}}</ref> American band [[Horse Lords]] uses [[just intonation]], playing hand-modified guitars with repositioned frets.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Horse Lords |url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/3068399-Horse-Lords |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=Discogs |language=en}}</ref> American band [[The Mercury Tree]] began incorporating microtonality in their 2014 album ''Countenance'', using quarter tones on the song "Vestigial". In their 2016 album ''Permutations'', they continued exploring quarter tones, and the track "Ether / Ore" was composed using the [[Alpha scale|Carlos Alpha]] tuning.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdlMzkZRVVg |title=The Mercury Tree Live Interview: Ben Spees |date=2023-12-16 |last=Make Weird Music |access-date=2024-12-24 |via=YouTube}}</ref> Their 2018 collaborative EP with [[Cryptic Ruse]], titled ''Cryptic Tree'', utilized both [[23 equal temperament|23-TET]] and [[17 equal temperament|17-TET]]. The 2019 album ''Spidermilk'' and the 2023 album ''Self Similar'' both feature 17 notes per octave, with the latter also including tracks in [[34 equal temperament|34-TET]] and [[68 equal temperament|68-TET]]. <ref>mercurytree.net</ref> [[Ventifacts (band)|Ventifacts]], a prog-rock and folk songwriting duo between Ben Spees (of The Mercury Tree) and Damon Waitkus (of [[Jack O' the Clock]]) have made music which is exclusively microtonal. The tuning systems they use are [[free pitch]], 24-TET, 17-TET, [[22-TET]], [[10 tone equal temperament|10-TET]] and [[20 tone equal temperament|20-TET]].<ref>https://ventifacts.bandcamp.com/album/ventifacts</ref> American band [[Dollshot]] used quarter tones and other microtonal intervals in their album ''Lalande''.<ref>{{cite web | last1 = K[aplan] | first1 = Noah | first2 = Rosie | last2 = K[aplan] | date = 2018 | url = https://nmbx.newmusicusa.org/notes-from-underground-ivan-wyschnegradskys-manual-of-quarter-tone-harmony/ | title = Notes from Underground: Ivan Wyschnegradsky's Manual of Quarter-Tone Harmony | work = New Music Box | access-date = May 15, 2018}}</ref> American instrumental trio [[Consider the Source]] employs microtonal instruments in their music.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}} Australian alternative musician [[Jack Tickner]] uses a [[just intonation]] guitar in releases like his 2018 EP ''Reassuring Weight''.
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