The only advantage that this temperament may have over conventional equal= =20 (IMO) is the porportional, or nearly porportionally beating triads.=20 Actually, by definition, porportionally beating thirds within a triad=20 require a 6:4 fifth, as opposed to a 3:2 fifth, which should be slightly wi= der. The disadvantage this temperament has over equal is that the thirds are=20 faster and the octave has a very noticable roll to it, though not as bad=20 as some might expect. This is for the same reason that a 1/4 syntonic=20 fifth beats much slower than a 1/4 syntonic third. I suppose we could=20 call it a Pythagorean Octave. It was no coincidence that Pythagorean tuning and its=20 transposed versions on keyboards, declined in favor with the advent of=20 polyphony. Likewise, equal temperament gained favor on pianos at a time=20 when tonality was being questioned and its boundries were breaking down. I second Jim=D5s last comment, and am much more interested in what a=20 particular temperament has to offer to the music, than to how=20 interesting it may look on paper. I am the last one to discourage=20 experimentation with temperament because this is the best way to=20 learn, but with so many more musically (historical, tonal, etc..)=20 appropriate options which have yet to be explored in so many places, this= =20 one just doesn=D5t it for me. If you want a more interesting version of equal, with porportionally=20 beating triads, and with a clean octave, try the Marpurg I (that is the=20 letter I, not the number, as many have presumed). This temperament=20 alternates two pure fifths and two tempered fifths, and the thirds are=20 all equal.=20 Dennis Johnson St. Olaf College
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