Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives

Message board

* FAQ    * Register   * Login 



This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.
Author Message Previous topic | Next topic
halokaust
Metal newbie

Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 11:33 am
Posts: 206
PostPosted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 1:17 pm 
 

Hi, what's the devil note?

All i know it's that it was taboo in the middle ages and Black Sabbath used it a lot.

Anyone know something about it?

Top
 Profile  
Masked_Jackal
Metalhead

Joined: Sat May 12, 2007 9:06 am
Posts: 513
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 1:31 pm 
 

The devil's note is a tritone:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tritone

I remember a few teachers telling me that people were actually punished for using it, which I find pretty funny.

Also, yes, the tritone is used in Sabbath's "Black Sabbath" (it's the main riff).

Top
 Profile  
Traver
Metal newbie

Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:10 am
Posts: 165
Location: Denmark
PostPosted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 3:08 pm 
 

It's not a note, it's an interval.

Top
 Profile  
mentalselfmutilation
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2006 8:39 pm
Posts: 1362
PostPosted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 4:06 pm 
 

Tritone. It's an interval with each note exactly 3 steps away from each other. Those involved with music wrote pieces for mass during the middle ages and renaissance. Among various guidelines, this specific interval was banned from use.
_________________
Mindslave - Powerviolence from NH

Top
 Profile  
MercyfulSatyr
Coelacanthine Cadaver

Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:22 pm
Posts: 1521
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 6:00 pm 
 

Otherwise known as "Diabolus in Musica," or the augmented fourth.
_________________
ULTIMATE WINDOWBLADED ARMSAW ATTACK!

caspian wrote:
mercyfulsatyr: easily the most humble man on the board.

My reviews.

Top
 Profile  
~Guest 21181
The Great Fearmonger

Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 3:44 am
Posts: 3987
PostPosted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 7:51 pm 
 

Or diminished 5th.

Top
 Profile  
caspian
Old Man Yells at Car Park

Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 11:29 pm
Posts: 6414
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 10:25 am 
 

Worth noting that because of the tuning system used back then (just intonation, instead of equal temperament, IIRC), the tritone was a good deal more dissonant and unpleasant then it is today.
_________________
https://kybaliondoom.bandcamp.com/album/poisoned-ash big ugly death doom by and for big ugly dudes

https://strangercountry.bandcamp.com/al ... the-chebar new album! Power shoegaze? Dream-doom???

Top
 Profile  
MercyfulSatyr
Coelacanthine Cadaver

Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:22 pm
Posts: 1521
Location: United States
PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 4:12 pm 
 

caspian wrote:
Worth noting that because of the tuning system used back then (just intonation, instead of equal temperament, IIRC), the tritone was a good deal more dissonant and unpleasant then it is today.


In fact, I wouldn't even really call it dissonant. Maybe a little, but it's actually pretty consonant, IMO.
_________________
ULTIMATE WINDOWBLADED ARMSAW ATTACK!

caspian wrote:
mercyfulsatyr: easily the most humble man on the board.

My reviews.

Top
 Profile  
Traver
Metal newbie

Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:10 am
Posts: 165
Location: Denmark
PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 5:44 pm 
 

How is it not dissonant :s

Top
 Profile  
MercyfulSatyr
Coelacanthine Cadaver

Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:22 pm
Posts: 1521
Location: United States
PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 6:01 pm 
 

Traver wrote:
How is it not dissonant :s


It is; I'm just saying it's more pleasant to the ear than, say, two notes a half step apart, as an example.
_________________
ULTIMATE WINDOWBLADED ARMSAW ATTACK!

caspian wrote:
mercyfulsatyr: easily the most humble man on the board.

My reviews.

Top
 Profile  
WebOfPiss
Myopic Void

Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2008 7:17 pm
Posts: 3025
Location: Presidio Modelo
PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 6:08 pm 
 

Yeah the minor second is more dissonant to my ears. It's inversion isn't very nice either.

Top
 Profile  
MercyfulSatyr
Coelacanthine Cadaver

Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:22 pm
Posts: 1521
Location: United States
PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 6:30 pm 
 

WebOfPiss wrote:
Yeah the minor second is more dissonant to my ears. It's inversion isn't very nice either.


Oh, so that's what it's called...
_________________
ULTIMATE WINDOWBLADED ARMSAW ATTACK!

caspian wrote:
mercyfulsatyr: easily the most humble man on the board.

My reviews.

Top
 Profile  
rexxz
Where's your band?

Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2004 8:45 pm
Posts: 9094
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 6:47 pm 
 

Yeah.

Unison
Minor Second
Major Second
Minor Third
Major Third
Perfect Fourth
Tritone (or Augmented Fourth/Diminished Fifth)
Perfect Fifth
Minor Sixth
Major Sixth
Minor Seventh
Major Seventh
Octave

Those are the intervals in the western chromatic scale.
_________________
Hexenkraft - diabolical cyberpunk darksynth
Cosmic Atrophy - extradimensional death metal

Top
 Profile  
renegade498
Metal newbie

Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:12 pm
Posts: 118
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 8:41 pm 
 

rexxz wrote:
Yeah.

Unison
Minor Second
Major Second
Minor Third
Major Third
Perfect Fourth
Tritone (or Augmented Fourth/Diminished Fifth)
Perfect Fifth
Minor Sixth
Major Sixth
Minor Seventh
Major Seventh
Octave

Those are the intervals in the western chromatic scale.


actually the Minor Second and Major Second, are the same. between that and the unison is the Diminished 3rd, its wierd and doesnt make much sense, but that Music theory for ya! :)
_________________
Check out my "Modern Black Metal" band, Shardborn.
www.myspace.com/shardbornmetal

And my Power/Prog solo project, Event Horizon.
www.myspace.com/eventhorizon01

Top
 Profile  
rexxz
Where's your band?

Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2004 8:45 pm
Posts: 9094
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 8:50 pm 
 

Minor Second and Major Second are not the same, sorry. The diminished third is just a flattened minor third, which is a major second. no use in being redundant when naming intervals.
_________________
Hexenkraft - diabolical cyberpunk darksynth
Cosmic Atrophy - extradimensional death metal

Top
 Profile  
Forrizzledog
Metal newbie

Joined: Sun May 18, 2008 11:32 am
Posts: 160
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 10:26 pm 
 

Also, according to everything I've heard the tritone is, scientifically, the most dissonant interval. The ratio of something to something else that makes notes sound dissonant/consonant is highest in the tritone.
_________________
lord_ghengis talking of Australian children's literature wrote:
Hell, we have children's books about multiple stabbings written by violent criminals called "Hooky The Cripple". None of this Waldo crap.

Top
 Profile  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

 
Jump to:  

Back to the Encyclopaedia Metallum


Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group