Jeff wrote: Who are we to have the freedom to "pick a tuning" for what a composer was intending? If we can't know what tuning the composer used, then where's the educational value? It becomes merely a novelty. If we just pick the one we like, that is no different than imposing ET on all of it, no? Jeff Well, no.....because, any of the alternatives from the many choices have the circle of fifths structure, but ET is built with a chromatic structure. We may not know what exactly was tuned, (if there was indeed any exactitude going on at all) but it's a pretty sure bet that it wasn't ET as we know it. This brings up another topic, the idea that ET is only ET if it is EXACTLY equal. It is because of the chromatic nature of the structure. But, this same rule doesn't apply to well temperaments.... there is more room for error, because the variations between the thirds in the progression are larger. With a one or two cent error, the graph will still present as a bell-shape type curve, where once the straight line graph of ET gets any bumps, it ceases to be ET. hmmmmmmm.... Ron Koval _________________________________________________________________ Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963
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