%0 Journal Article
%T Non-Pythagorean proportions and the Diapas車n in the design of iberian Harpsichord scales
%A Poletti
%A Paul
%J Anuario Musical
%D 2009
%I Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cient赤ficas
%X One of the tenets of modern organology is that the strings of keyboard instruments have generally been designed according to the theory that length is inversely proportional to pitch, resulting in a progression of string lengths known as a Pythagorean Scale. Recent research has begun to focus on surviving Iberian instruments, heretofore largely neglected. While few have survived, it would appear that a signifi cant number of their builders had a tendency to employ non-Pythagorean scales. One recent study suggests that these instruments represent a curious collective adherence to archaic methods used in the design of Medieval instruments. The present article offers an alternative viewpoint, showing how such scales could easily have been constructed using a traditional organ builder＊s design tool, called a Diapas車n. The geometric logic of the Diapas車n is briefl y explained as well as the various progressions which can result from its use. The scales of several Iberian instruments are then examined in light of these alternative methods, arriving at the conclusion that their makers, rather than exhibiting an archaic conservatism, actually formed part of growing 18th century movement towards the use of extended non-Pythagorean scales as are now ubiquitously found in the modern piano. Uno de los principios de la organolog赤a moderna es que las cuerdas de los instrumentos de teclado se han dise ado generalmente seg迆n la teor赤a que la longitud es inversamente proporcional al tono, dando por resultado una progresi車n de las longitudes de la secuencia conocidas como escala pitag車rica. La investigaci車n reciente ha comenzado a centrarse en los instrumentos ib谷ricos supervivientes, descuidados hasta ahora en gran parte. Mientras que pocos han sobrevivido, se ha constatado que un n迆mero signifi cativo de sus constructores ten赤a una tendencia a emplear escalas no-Pitag車ricas. Un estudio reciente sugiere que estos instrumentos representen una adherencia colectiva curiosa a los m谷todos arcaicos usados en el dise o de instrumentos medievales. El art赤culo presente ofrece un punto de vista alternativo, demostrando c車mo tales escalas se habr赤an podido construir f芍cilmente usando una herramienta de dise o tradicional para construir 車rganos, llamada Diapas車n. La l車gica geom谷trica del Diapas車n es explicada brevemente, as赤 como varias progresiones que pueden resultar de su uso. Las escalas de varios instrumentos ib谷ricos son examinadas a la luz de estos m谷todos alternativos, llegando la conclusi車n de que sus fabricantes, exhibiendo un conservadurismo arcaico, formaron realmente u
%K Iberian
%K Spain
%K harpsichord
%K organ
%K design
%K strings
%K wire
%K Pythagorean
%K scale
%K Diapason
%K Fern芍ndez
%K Santos
%K Bueno
%K Ib谷rico
%K Espa a
%K clavic谷mbalo
%K 車rgano
%K dise o
%K cuerdas de piano
%K escalas Pitag車ricas
%K Diapas車n
%K Fern芍ndez
%K Santos
%K Bueno
%U http://anuariomusical.revistas.csic.es/index.php/anuariomusical/article/view/41/40