The Godyssey Podcast

The Devil's Interval is another name for the tritone, diabolus in musica that was said to be a forbidden set of notes. Discordant and uncomfortable in sound, the name seems to originate in the 17th century rather than medieval musicology. #WyrdWednesday

🖼️: F Francken

An example of the Devil's Interval: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZmoLHzmlBg

The Devil’s Interval: Tritone

YouTube
Jul 31, 2024 at 1:35pmWeb
Show threadteledyn đ“‚€Jul 31, 2024

@Godyssey

cognitive psychologist #DianaDeutsch found the #tritone is ambiguously perceived by humans. Her "tritone paradox" is perceived as rising tones by half her subjects, and falling tones by the other half!
#devilsinterval #musicology #perception

https://youtu.be/GrvMVLOfgck?si=jM22IOK6uGp5x8b-

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Show threadThe Godyssey PodcastJul 31, 2024
@teledyn ooh that's fascinating!
Show threadDaniel GibsonJul 31, 2024
@teledyn @Godyssey
If I understand this correctly (from Wikipedia :-p), this isn't just because of the tritone interval, but because the tones are "Shepard tones", that are actually a superposition of several tones separated by octaves (like C and C' and C''' and C'''' at the same time). There probably wouldn't be confusion when playing pure sine-waves half an octave apart.
Show threadDaniel GibsonJul 31, 2024
@teledyn @Godyssey
Shepard tones themselves are super interesting/weird too, by changing the volume of the separate (sub?-) tones they can give the illusion of a tone that is endlessly rising (or falling), see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepard_tone#Shepard–Risset_glissando and the video next to it
Shepard tone - Wikipedia

Show threadteledyn đ“‚€Jul 31, 2024

@Doomed_Daniel @Godyssey

If you can find it (*cough*Soulseek*cough) Diana released an LP with a collection of her illusions. Most require headphones.