[CAUT] descriptive tuning (was FAC)

[Jeff Tanner]

On Feb 5, 2007, at 10:05 AM, Fred Sturm wrote:

> I suspect it might be possible to come up with a more or less  
> consensus "vanilla" concert tuning that a reasonable majority would  
> call acceptable. And it may be that the differences in style are  
> not perceived by the average music lover. That said, we have been  
> discussing tuning and fussing with it in a pretty well-defined way  
> for decades, and the result is continued disagreement - note that  
> the trend with ETDs is for more and more customizable programs, and  
> no one has come up with a pre-loaded page for the D that is  
> universally acceptable.
> 	Twenty or more years ago, I might have said there are two major  
> concert tuning schools: "PTG" and "Steinway basement." "PTG" fusses  
> with every single interval, and is rather conservative when it  
> comes to keeping octaves "dead on." "Steinway basement" sets a  
> quick, reasonable good temperament without fussing, tunes outward  
> listening to octave and fifth, aiming for wide octave and beatless  
> fifth, and puts most emphasis on rock solid stability and crystal  
> clean unisons. I think there is more variety today than that today.


I heard one of the Steinway concert techs make a very good point  
about concert tuning recently.  They have scores of technicians  
tuning, and each has his/her own different tuning preferences.  But  
artists never fuss about the tuning beyond solid octaves, unisons and  
stability.  Artists are much more concerned with touch, control and  
tone.  Tuning is highly overrated.  I've always found that my  
experience with artists follows right along those lines.

Jeff


Jeff Tanner, RPT
University of South Carolina



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