<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""> On a non-equal-temperament instrument (such as a violin), the difference between a G# and an Ab is about 24 cents, or 1/4 of a half-step. With a little training it's probably perceptible. (1 cent = 1% of an equally tempered semitone) <div class=""> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma" class="">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""> TMI (Too Much Information): there's also the syntonic comma (about 22 cents):</div><div class=""> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syntonic_comma" class="">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syntonic_comma</a><br class=""><div><br class=""></div><div> Dan</div><div>(that's about the third time i've been able to use my Ph.D. in music theory since 1979)</div><div> Augustine</div><div>----------------------------------<br class=""><div class="">On Nov 18, 2019, at 1:29 PM, Robert Ringwald <<a href="mailto:rsr@ringwald.com" class="">rsr@ringwald.com</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div class="">Ken,<br class=""><br class="">I've heard that there is a difference between an A flat and G sharp. Having<br class="">never studied music theory, can you tell me what the difference is. I wonder<br class="">if I could hear it.<br class=""><br class="">While Sarah is a great singer, I like Ella better. Of course when they are<br class="">that good, its strictly personal preference.<br class=""><br class="">-Bob Ringwald<br class=""><br class=""><br class=""><br class="">-----Original Message----- From: Ken Mathieson<br class="">Sent: Monday, November 18, 2019 10:14 AM<br class="">To: Bob Ringwald<br class="">Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List<br class="">Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Sarah Vaughan<br class=""><br class="">Hi Al et al,<br class=""><br class="">It doesn't surprise me that Sarah would hear the difference between a G<br class="">sharp and an A flat on the violin and sing it without thinking about it.<br class="">I don't think she could sing the way she did without having absolute<br class="">pitch. Also her experience as the band pianist with the Earl Hines big<br class="">band must have meant that she knew harmony and was able to deploy it in<br class="">her scatting. On top of that, her range and tonal versatility made her,<br class="">for me at least, the perfect jazz singer.<br class=""><br class="">Cheers,<br class=""><br class="">Ken<br class=""><br class=""></div></div></div><div class="">
<div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**<br class="">** Dan Augustine -- Austin, Texas -- <a href="mailto:ds.augustine@utexas.edu" class="">ds.augustine@utexas.edu</a><br class="">** "The whole world is about three drinks behind.” -- Humphrey Bogart<br class="">**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**<br class=""><br class=""><br class=""></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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