Perfect fifths temperament (was Perfect Tuning)

Östen Häggmark haggmark@mailbox.calypso.net
Mon, 03 Feb 1997 22:10:36 +0100


>Michel Lachance wrote:
>>  ...  Yes, it gives
>> quite sounding fifths but the harshnes of the major thirds spoils the
>> soup.
>>=20
>> But there is a hidden flaw in that system when you try to tune each
>> fundamental to its theoratical value.  It doesn't take into account
>> the inharmonicity.  Perfect fifths are stretched fifths which means
>> over stretched octaves and major thirds that almost beat like minor
>> thirds.  I think there is no way out for this interesting but
>> unapplicable system.
>>=20
>> Michel Lachance, RPT


>Indeed, but we shouldnt mix things up. The inharmonicity is one thing,
>related to the specific instrument, and the way we set up an octave is
>another! If you do perfect fifths, you end up a quarter of o tone higher
>when you 'land'. If you make an octave by putting three major thirds
>together, you will end up about a quarter low. This is indeed true in
>theory. What one did in the early days, was to make some keys more
>perfect than others - the price to pay was that some other keys were
>really bad. Of course, you can always find methods in between, which
>are different from equal temp, and still playable, so to speak.
>
>Best regards
>
>Niklas Eliasson
>
>pianotech
>Linkoping, Sweden
>

Niklas,

I think it's you who mix things up. The way we set up octaves in tuning has
very much to do with inharmonicity. What your talking about is rather how
the temperament is laid out. Even then, the theoretical octave would always
be in the mathematical relation 1:2.


Best regards
=D6sten H=E4ggmark
Stockholm, Sweden






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