Oscar South

I've finished Version 1.0.0.0 of this document's subject matter as an actual algorithm that can be used to deterministically generate, explore and filter down recommendations for performance, study and composition using the overtones of the electric bass! Of course .. I've gone a lot further than the initial scope and additionally encoded the harmonic intuition of J.S.Bach into the algorithm as an embedded recommendation system .. I've released it as an open source project! Check is out at this GitHub repo, where I've added detailed usage examples (with video clips) and installation instructions for anyone inclined to try it out! https://github.com/OscarSouth/theHarmonicAlgorithm

A decently long while ago (when this was mere music theory speculation) I mentioned this here: Well, lots of time has passed and I've obsessively pursued this rabbit hole niche within a niche through multiple fields of technical and theoretical practice and what's come out the other side is something quite special (very possibly only to me) .. .. I've just finished Version 1.0.0.0 of the project as an interactive algorithm that you can explore and utilise as a performance/study/composition aid for working with the overtones of the electric bass! It's actually a lot more versatile that that (and even in that use case, can work with any stringed instrument in any tuning) but the core functionality was designed with that usage in mind. On top of that, it incorporates a recommendation system with a 'learned' deterministic intuition for favourable 'next' harmonic choices that ingests data derived from J.S.Bach's Chorale harmonisations and then applies the trained model to data generated by the 'Harmonic Algorithm'. You can check it out in it's current form, including detailed usage examples (with video clips) and installation instructions for anyone inclined to try it out: https://github.com/OscarSouth/theHarmonicAlgorithm "The Harmonic Algorithm, written in Haskell and R, generates musical domain specific data inside user defined constraints then filters it down and deterministically ranks it using a tailored Markov Chain model trained on ingested musical data. This presents a unique tool in the hands of the composer or performer which can be used as a writing aid, analysis device, for instrumental study or even in live performance." If anyone has any comments or feedback -- please let me know! I'm going to add the ability to view where the overtones of each recommendation are located on an instrument in the currently defined tuning in the next update. Thanks! Oscar

I've finished V1.0 of this publication. You can follow my facebook page for updates and content derived from this document in advance of it's published release (late 2017): https://www.facebook.com/oscarsouthbass

[quote name='toneknob' timestamp='1471778533' post='3115753'] Right! Got it, thanks. I was reading "+" as "plus", "add" rather than "or". Seeing as D4 is an F# an octave plus a major third above the 12th fret harmonic, you can see how it might be open to interpretation. [/quote] Glad you've got it! Your feedback is appreciated too and I will take it into consideration. Thanks!

[quote name='dlloyd' timestamp='1471643520' post='3114792'] This is a fantastic resource and I appreciate the effort you've put in. [/quote] Thanks very much! I'm glad that it is useful to you! I've got a long way to go before finishing the final publication, but I'll make sure that regulars on this message board get to hear about it first!

[quote name='toneknob' timestamp='1471634112' post='3114705'] Thanks - yep I got that from your previous post. It's D1+3 I'm trying to understand. What is it, and where do I find one? [/quote] I posted slightly wrongly in my last post (rushing, my apologies!). It's edited now, but it should have been D3 = D[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif](octave higher).[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]D1+3 means that this overtone exists at both D1 (12th fret) or D3 ([/font][/color][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828]5th or 24th fret), and you can pick which based on your personal discretion![/color][/font]

D4 would be an F#, found at the [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]4th, 9th, 16th or slightly beyond the 24th frets[/font][/color]

1 = 12th fret 2 = 7th or 19th fret 3 = 5th or 24th fret 4 = 4th, 9th, 16th or beyond 24th fret D1 = D D3 = D(octave higher) Either of these D's can be chosen based on voicing preference

[quote name='Ceebass' timestamp='1469476121' post='3098661'] I love a good chord-symbol discussion! I do agree with Joebass on some of the labelling issues, but I understand the need for a certain methodological rigour when undertaking this kind of exercise. I was interested to see that you categorised the G6b9 and Dsus2b5 chords as 'impractical' rather than stemming from a melodic minor tonality- what was your rationale for doing it this way? Cool project dude- you've set the Theory and Technique board on fire! [/quote] About damn time! I've been coming here a good while and as a theory head it has long pained me to see this part of the forum mainly full of tab requests I've treated melodic minor with subjectivity in order to avoid an over-abundance of useless voicings, of which there would be many. Here is the 'rule' I set for Melodic minor: [indent=1] [i]"Tonic, altered or other ‘concrete’ melodic minor structures (darker highlight)."[/i][/indent] I actually took many more potentially practical voicings out of consideration in the next stage of analysis. I found that only enough to demonstrate the different variations of tensions were necessary. A big list of every possible combination was just unwieldy. The exact point at which this study stops being purely analytical and objective and becomes subjective is on the complete generation of all possible structures, prior to the colour coding being added. [quote name='paul_c2' timestamp='1469476371' post='3098669'] That's fair enough - the exercise has a usefulness to you, which may be different to others. What I'm saying is, to expand it into something with use to ME, I'd rearrange things slightly to identify the simplest form of the chords, and probably leave blank (I know the reason for your work was to evaluate it all, leaving no blanks...) most of the chords which are too far away from the more "normal" stuff to fit in musically to anything. I am sure there are a few beautiful sounding chords based on harmonics out there which I've never played, at the moment I only use a couple of "safe" ones I've worked out already... [/quote] Expand it shall! This spreadsheet is an excerpt from a much (much!) bigger work. [attachment=225744:Screenshot 2016-08-18 15.04.24.png] The spreadsheet in question is simply the 'workings', the work as a whole is intended to explore the results of these inner workings in a more practical manner. Still a lot of work to do, but it's slowly getting there. I've not yet decided how I will publish it as there will be video examples of all the exercises. I'm thinking to publish as both a physical book with accompanying DVD and as a Udemy course with accompanying notes. [quote name='ambient' timestamp='1469802575' post='3101191'] That's fascinating, thanks for sharing your work. I like to use harmonics in some of my solo stuff. [/quote] Thanks very much, I'm glad it's of use/interest to you! [quote name='Hector' timestamp='1469812785' post='3101302'] Oscar, have been having a fiddle around with this stuff for a few days, and I'm really enjoying getting into it - thanks for the resource! Have you considered doing this for the harmonics available on a high C string too? [/quote] Brilliant. I'm glad to hear that people are making good use of it. I am exploring different 'harmonic' tunings and although I've not yet done EADGC, it's the next on the list and will most likely make it's way into any released version of the work. [quote name='toneknob' timestamp='1471468624' post='3113336'] There's no questioning your devotion to the task, but I have simply no idea how I would use your chart in practice. Can you explain how I use it? So for example - what does the EAeGb (etc) refer to top left of each table - what does the left hand column signify (three notes, E G G# for the first row of the first table) - are the columns each the root note of a chord? - what do the shading colours represent? Thanks! [/quote] Opps! Those larger charts weren't supposed to be included in this PDF. They're a hint at some of the things the larger work contains The left hand column lists the pitches of the three overtones in question, which are then placed in function over all 12 chromatic roots in the subsequent columns. There is some info on the bottom of the sheet, but largely they're a guide to what's more or less usable. Green is best, blue more complex, orange mostly nonsense and red non-diatonic voicings.

Thanks for the input guys, it's all valuable and I don't want to appear dismissive, but I can't reply with anything but a repetition of my previous comments here: This is one 'molecule' in the development process of an incredibly bigger creation, written in my own 'modified for task' shorthand, to be discarded after it's specific usefulness is exhausted. In fact it's just one of a number of this kind of chart, dealing with different instruments with different tunings. I've shared it for the interest of any enthusiastic individual who may take inspiration from it. Imagine if I did it all neatly with the all-too-subjective standardised chord notations and sheet music to go with. I'd be left with a dropbox full of beautifully legible unfinished documents, to be read by nobody. I know this chord notation stuff is an opinionated area and that we're on an internet message board, but let's be grown up here. It's all basic stuff for any trained musician and we've all dealt with dosens of personalised systems which we disagree with in our professional life. There's no way that I'm going to change the personal shorthand that I'm working in (which 99.99% of is only seen by me) mid project. I value everyone's opinion and I've read and considered all comments, but let's not labour the point here. The finished product will be all nicely presented with formally scored music and 'standardised' chord symbols. Maybe I'll even stick the tabs in there just to cater to all audiences Please let me know if you have any other comments, it's all food for thought. Oscar

[quote name='Joebass' timestamp='1469461812' post='3098497'] Does that mean that you have it labeled somewhere as D second inversion? Because [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]A6[/font][/color][sup]sus4no5 [/sup]isn't really a functional chord and I see no reason to label it this way. I would urge you to rethink; this is a highly unusual and confusing way of labeling a chord that has an obvious dominant structure. With the presence of the natural 3rd and flat 7, this is an A7 chord which makes the F# tension 13, [i]not[/i] an added 6th (regardless of its octave). [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]If you want to strictly communicate the chord tones and tensions present then A7[/font][/color][sup](add1[/sup][sup]3, omit 5) [/sup] would be the way to go. I really like the chart but the current nomenclature seriously reduces its practicality (for me at least). ~Joe [/quote] That's ok. I'm not asking you to pay for it I appreciate the time you took to give me feedback and it is valuable food for thought, but I can't see how I can convey responses any more clearly than I have done above. It's not important for you to understand the internal logic of the process at this stage, but if you feel inclined for reasons of personal interest to study the notes included on that spreadsheet, you will find that everything is presented clearly and unambiguously. It's not a page from a Real Book (inside which you'll find dosens of different styles of harmonic notation with no conflict over which is correct!), it's an internal stage in a process of personalised analysis which I have made public for the interest of other specialists. I'm glad that you like the chart however, I hope that you will like the finished product when it's officially released. Here's today's spreadsheet!

[quote name='Joebass' timestamp='1469445939' post='3098298'] Thanks for sharing your chart, Oscar. A couple of observations: Labeling everything in root position has obscured some simple chords. f.ex. the D triad has been labeled as Gbm[sup]#5[/sup] in first inversion and A6[sup]sus4no5 [/sup]in second inversion. D/F# and D/A would be clearer. Some dominant chords have been mislabeled as 6[sup]th[/sup] chords with an added b7. f.ex. A6[sup]b7no5[/sup] = A7[sup](add[/sup][sup]13, omit 5)[/sup]. Personally, I would just call this A13. ~Joe [/quote] Hey Joe, thanks for the feedback (that's the real reason I posted this, so big thank you!). It's all useful food for thought and relevant to me, so I'll address your points separately: With regard to inversions, I'm not considering inverted voicings in the realms of this preliminary analysis. Here's the relevant quote from the larger document: "The nature of the data collection process eliminates the need to consider inversions of each structure as the function of each possible overtone structure is shown over each possible chromatic root. Thus, all possible inversions will already be presented in the data." With regard to '6' chords, while your suggested notation indeed looks a little cleaner, I choose to notate 6 chords like this because I find that the addition of the 6 changes the functionality and aesthetic of the chord in different ways to the 'usual' higher extensions. I find that writing '6' chords like this just gives me a little more relevant information at a glance. Another lesser consideration on this point is that this isn't my normal 'concert' chord reference system as I've modified it in a few ways in order to reduce subjectivity in interpretation. For example, A13 is not clear on whether the 9th and 11th will be present. Thanks again for the feedback and don't hesitate if you find anything else. I've made quite a few corrections and modifications to this chart since posting, so I'll update it soon (will make it obvious when the updated one is available). Oscar

Thanks for the feedback everyone and I hope that the chart is useful and/or interesting to you. I'll post an update when the complete publication is released. If anyone is interested to communicate further, please feel free to interact with me here: https://www.facebook.com/oscarsouthbass Best, Oscar

[quote name='paul_c2' timestamp='1469273657' post='3097095'] I have to admit, I don't get any of the coding/notation/whatever they've used to describe harmonics. I get what harmonics are, and for me there's 3 ways to describe them: 1) conventional notation but with diamonds in the note heads 2) describing them as "string x, harmonic at xth fret" or maybe "string x, xth harmonic". But they've used something else. Can you shed light on all the codes and stuff on the PDF??? [/quote] No problem. On the left is all the different possible combinations of three overtones (considering overtones 1, 2, 3 & 4). On the right is the locations of those overtones on the bass. In the centre, all the upper structures chosen are shown in function over each of the 12 possible bass tones. Overtones: E string: 1: E 2: B 3: E(8va) 4: G# A string: 1: A 2: E 3: A(8va) 4: C# D string: 1: D 2: A 3: D(8va) 4: F# G string: 1: G 2: D 3: G(8va) 4: B Everything else is explained in notes and key on the sheet itself. I chose to limit it to the first 4 overtones because A) keep the study within workable realm, overtones 5 and 6 are b7 -31cents and 5th(8va), so just one new tone per string and it presents a lot of intonation issues C) overtones from 5 and up are not so accessible in a wider variety of techniques. I'm using a lot of tapped harmonics so it didn't make sense to include them when considering these three reasons together.

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1469261212' post='3096974'] Well I found it interesting even though I didn't fully understand it. Thanks for sharing - hopefully some of the more erudite members will be along soon to add some more constructive comments! [/quote] Thanks! Glad to hear that (at least a small cross section of) other musicians are interested in what bizarre theoretical niche rabbit holes we can explore! I hope the information is useful. Thanks specifically for speaking up over the general 'white noise' of apathy here. Much appreciated. Harmonics on bass sound great and there's a rich and developing heritage in their usage, so hopefully this study (much bigger than just this spreadsheet) can add a few more layers of practicality to the field.

[url="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/134504/The%20Harmonic%20Algorithm.pdf"]https://dl.dropboxus...20Algorithm.pdf[/url] [url="https://www.facebook.com/oscarsouthbass"]Oscar[/url]

This is in my opinion one of the best and most versatile bass pedals on the market and functions more as a multi effect of extremely high quality than a delay pedal. Curious to see if anyone else has figured this too! The fact that it's got a high quality reverb with length, wet/dry and hi/lo pass functions makes it worth it's cost instantly, and the hi-pass/lo-pass filter dial in question makes every feature exponentially more usable for a bass player. The delays are obviously good, it has some cool gimmicks and a great modulation delay (that can go into crazy if you let it). The looper is decent too! I use it to reverb the tops (set to min delay repeats) and I bring in the delay or loop functions as desired by pressing or holding the tap tempo respectively. Any other users found any particularly usable or cool features? Oscar

Another issue is that for any experienced electric player who decides to transition to or double on upright, the price of acquiring a professional quality instrument can be ludicrous! Very prohibitive for players who are earning their living off music and especially so when it's not necessarily the core of their professional focus. That said, as soon as I started gigging and working out and about regularly on upright bass, I practically became a full time upright bass player overnight!

Art's role in society is to inspire. Society evolves, and so does art.

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1437814679' post='2829200'] Anyone else noticed the tendency of guitarists to try and reduce songs back to verse,chorus middle eight even when the interest in the song is in the structure? Drives me nuts, I've no problem with rearranging songs but dropping the so called tricky bits because you can't be bothered to learn them then justifying it by claiming to put your own spin on a song. Grrr [/quote] I rarely play cover gig, but in my experience a case in point: Feeling Good I know two versions of this track.. the guitarist version and the keyboard player version (the actual track).

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1437309863' post='2824981'] [url="https://soundcloud.com/Yodaclub/radkol-demo"]https://soundcloud.c...lub/radkol-demo[/url] I played bass on this recently, it seems to going down well and is getting radio play [/quote] Listening to this as I type this.. Nice tune!! The production on it sounds great too.