Lou Harrison, a composer featured on this album, discovered that overtones 6 through 12 naturally form a continuous 6-tone mode, which he found fascinating after years of inventing his own 6-tone modes.
Instruments
The album features music played on the "Just National" guitar, an instrument specifically created for this project in 2002 to accommodate Lou Harrison's desire for pure tunings.
Recording & Production
This album includes several "First Recordings" of pieces, as indicated by asterisks next to their titles in the tracklist.
Cultural Impact
The Just National guitar, originally commissioned for Lou Harrison, has inspired many composers, with over two dozen works now written for the instrument since its creation.
Performer Biography
John Schneider, the guitarist on this album, is a Grammy-winning musician, composer, author, and broadcaster who holds a Ph.D. in Physics & Music and is President Emeritus of the Guitar Foundation of America.
Composer's Artistic Vision
All the music on this album is performed in Just Intonation, a tuning system that uses pure intervals, which composer Lou Harrison preferred over "the industrial gray of equal temperament."
Composition History
The creation of the Just National guitar was inspired by Lou Harrison's commission for the 2002 Other Minds Festival, where he requested a guitar with metal strings and pure tunings.
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