ChromaTone app for iPhone and iPad
* A magical illusion to the ears
* A new polyphonic musical instrument
* A new method for acquiring perfect pitch
* The foundation for a new way of conceptualising music
- - - What is a ChromaTone? - - -
There are 12 ChromaTones. Each ChromaTone is a Shepard Tone corresponding to one of the 12 pitch classes found on a modern (ie 12-TET tuning) piano / guitar /etc. Chroma is the Greek for colour. You will find any piece of music can be played using only these 12 colours -- and you will recognise it instantly.
- - - What is the illusion? - - -
Keep walking round the circle. Each note is clearly a semitone higher than the previous. yet after you have completed 1, 10 or 100 circles you realise the sound of each ChromaTone is constant.
- - - How does this help learning perfect pitch? - - -
Im fortunate to know someone with perfect pitch. Through talking with him I discovered that when heres a note he hears primarily the pitch class, or Chroma; he resolves the note into one of these 12 pitch classes and hears the chroma of the note. As a secondary movement of the brain he figures out where on the piano this note is.
The Shepard Tone is a perfect representation of the concept of pitch class. It has not been possible until the digital era. This is the cutting edge of music evolution.
Of course it is going to take more than this representation to acquire perfect pitch. I am currently developing a set of training games that use this framework. Check out the web link!
- - - Why have you given a new letter to each note? - - -
This is not the question. The question is: why was this not done 400 years ago when the modern 12 tone chromatic scale was conceived? This is the first of many public offerings from me... if life gives me the grace to continue my work, Im going to build a complete musical system from this basis as well as a set of training tools. click on the support URL and look on my Toneme System if you are interested in this work.
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PS Im amazed to see I have one one-star review from the US store, someone is angry. I have worked long and hard to create something beautiful and I am giving it away for free. and this seems to have infuriated someone?! The psychology of some people beggars belief! I am not claiming any invention that is not my own. The Shepard Tone speaks for itself. One has only to put Shepard Tone into Google. And I have clearly mentioned both here and in the application itself that I am using Shepard Tones?! And on my website I address all of the issues related to the various tuning systems that have evolved through history. I specifically say in the application FAQ this topic is too big to go here, if you are interested, go to my website or contact me! .