Theory Lecture on Temperaments

[Michael Jorgensen]

Hello List,
     This morning I lectured on temperaments to three sections of music
theory.  Before telling the students anything and with no signs on the
pianos,  I compared the quasi pure triads and thirds of meantone with
those of equal temperament and asked the music students which they
preferred.   In two of three sections the class laughed at the ET triads
considering them to be grossly out of tune.  Others gave funny looks as
they compared these.  They all laughed when I told them that is how all
professional technicians including myself tune most of the time.  (All
were freshly tuned pianos).  A few from the 9:00am  class preferred the
ET triads.  I think the faster fifths of MT were the reason as they
changed their mind when I just played the thirds.  All were shocked at
the MT wolf intervals which I played only after the classes had voted
for the MT.
    I also used the RCT Pianalizer to demonstrate inharmonicity and the
need for octave stretch. I taught them how every interval on the entire
piano is completely out of tune (tempered) including octaves and
explained why.
     I believe all music students should be exposed to the realities of
tuning as they can learn to play better with pianos and other
instruments of fixed pitch.  It also answers giant questions about our
system of notation and why it evolved as it has.  My demonstration
included pianos in well, equal and meantone.
    The pianos will be on display for a while so that all faculty and
students may sample these temperaments.  I look forward to their
comments.

It was fun
-Mike Jorgensen  RPT
Central Michigan University School of Music.