The workings of a new composition: SKOLION for 6 horns in 13-limit just intonation.

This sketch starts with muted horns playing a concert F chord (written C): root as 2nd harmonic plus 3rd harmonic, 5th harmonic, 7th harmonic and 11th…

Welcome to a blog about 'brass' instruments that use one harmonic

It would be just as accurate to call a trumpet a metal didjeridu as to call a didjeridu a wooden trumpet! Therefore a conch is a shell trumpet and…

Welcome to the 1st Guest Blog - Kraig Grady

I've known Kraig for a few years now, since he came to live in Australia. Kraig composes using just intonation, designs and builds instruments, redesigns existing instruments, retunes instruments, designs and…

Welcome to BLOG 6 on using horn harmonics (including the 7th) to play simple chord progressions with 7th chords.

Good tuning is possible by players of even modest ability. The harmonics of the horn can be used to help hear…

Welcome to Blog 5 exploring some ways of writing microtonal music that includes the piano, with an example from a new song for soprano, horn and piano. 

 Here are there basic ways of including the piano in microtonal music with…

Hi and welcome to BLOG 4 which begins an exploration of instruments that are played by buzzing the lips and their modes of vibration, the harmonics. Such instruments are usually called brass instruments though they don't have to be made…

Hi, and welcome to the third blog.

It is easy to play simple chords, beautifully in tune, in the middle register and higher using the harmonics of the horn. This can be done on any of the 16 tube lengths…

Last week I looked at using the harmonics of the horn when playing Nielsen's Wind Quintet. This week I'll pay attention to the number of harmonics playable on the horn and start showing how pitches from the different lengths…

Hi and welcome to the very first blog of The Brass Whisperer.

I want to share some of the music that has inspired me and fuelled me over the decades: the genre of chamber music. As a performer I love…