Perfect fifths temperament (was Perfect Tuning) <Pine.PMDF.3.91.970203151140.539382873A-100000@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu>

[Jim]

The only problem with the J. Cree Fischer method is that you have to
tune all 12 notes along with their connecting octaves before you find
out if it's going to come out all right.  You've got 12 chances for
small errors which can become cumulative, and then WHAMO!, you've got
to start over again.

Jim Coleman, Sr.

On Mon, 3 Feb 1997, KUANG wrote:

> Hi, list:
> 	That book by Fischer happenes to be my first tuning "text book".
> Perfect fifth temperament is the only method I use (and the only method I
> know) to tune a piano.  I found it very easy to learn and it's VERY
> accurate (to most people I know).
> No, i don't know how to hear "beats" (i don't intend to learn it
> either...sounds like it's hard to learn).  I'm not a professional tuner
> (i'm a student of many majors including piano and violin) but all of my
> music friends think i'm at a professional level.  The major thirds don't
> sound flat to me at all.  Every time i check the pianos tuned by the piano
> technician of my music department with perfect fifths,  one or two of them
> are flat and/or sharp (I bet he doesn't use SAT.....or does he?  Oh, he's
> a RPT.  No offense)  I never checked my own temperament with an instrument
> so I don't know if my tunning is really that accurate or not.  The only
> problem with perfect fifth temperament i know is that if "your" perfect
> fifth is only 0.2 cent sharp/flat, then you'll end up with little more
> than 2 cent sharp/flat (and if "your" perfect fifth is 1 cent off,
> then....oh well, go figure :) ).  And it won't sound pleasant if you
> check with the octave.  I said it was an easy method because, well, it's
> the only interval you have to know!
>
> Kuang
>
> On Mon, 3 Feb 1997 KTorres280@aol.com wrote:
>
> > This sounds similar to a book by J. Cree Fischer (I hope I have his name
> > correct) in which a temperament can be set using only fifths. However, the
> > end result is supposed to be the same as with other standard methods. I have
> > tried this method without much success however. Another tuner I know used to
> > set his temperament with just fourths and fifths, not using thirds and other
> > checks at all. He was an excellent tuner but could not explain how he did it,
> > and he didn't even know what I meant when I asked him about the speed of the
> > beats in thirds and such...a technician from Russia taught him. But he sure
> > knew how to make even the worst pianos sound great!
> >
>