Re: More on resonant teeth and absolute pitch (Brian Gygi )

Subject: Re: More on resonant teeth and absolute pitch
From:    Brian Gygi  <bgygi(at)INDIANA.EDU>
Date:    Thu, 29 Oct 1998 15:56:02 -0500

OK, just to REALLY beat a dead horse.....

Re the discussion on the origin of the terms 'high' and 'low' for pitches.
I think we have a WHOLE NEW THEORY here about the origin of the terms
"sharp" and "dull" for tone color.  It's obvious that the tone complexes
with a higher average frequency (the 'sharp' sounds) resonated in the
smaller teeth, the incisors, whereas the 'duller' sounds tended to
resonate in the molars.  Now, if you really want to stretch this to the
breaking point, you could talk about the origins of said teeth in
humanoids (knowing of course that the reptilian mandibles became the
ossicles) and the role in development of speech perception.
But...I'll leave to wiser minds.

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