The novice...question(s)

[Brian Trout]

This is an interesting thread.

It brings up a question in my mind about what temperament(s) can / should /
could be considered as 'default' tuning.

Here's what I mean.  It's no secret that I'm an advocate of ET.  I like ET
very much.  It's what I tune when I get called to tune Mrs. Schmuckendorf's
Baldwin console (whoever, whatever).  If the customer is not of a caliber
where they can differentiate between meantone and ET (don't laugh, they're
out there), what "should" a tuner do?  Are we at liberty to "experiment"?

My initial gut reaction to my own question is to tune in ET unless and until
there is a reason not to.  If a person wants a particular temperament, or is
interested in experimenting with new temperaments, or a thousand other older
variations of temperament,  that's a whole new can of worms.  You could go
almost anywhere, and rightfully so.  (This is one of those 'education' type
things between tuner and customer.)  In all honesty, I've heard a number of
non-ET temperaments that sounded pretty neat when certain pieces were played
on them in certain keys.  This would make perfect sense in a concert
situation where a piano was tuned in a particular way in order to play a
particular piece of music.

But back to Mrs. Schmuckendorf.  It just seems to me that if every tuner in
town will tune whatever temperament he darn well feels like, regardless of a
customers wishes (or lack thereof), that perhaps we've somehow diminished
any standard or uniformity that is sometimes implied with the standard RPT
tuning exam.

Whether or not you or I believe that ET should be the standard could
certainly be debated.  I'd like to think I have (or am at least working
toward) an open mind on the matter.

Personally, I wouldn't THINK of tuning anything other than ET on a
customer's piano without their full knowledge, consent, and desire.  It
would appear that others don't agree.

Any comments?  Is a standard important?  How far do we go with 'alternative
temperaments' before we're 'out of bounds', or are there any bounds?  If
there are no rules, no one breaks them, in which case there's no real basis
for criticism from the ET or HT side of things.?

Where is all this stuff headed?

I ask without critical tone, and in sincerity of heart.  I'm fuzzy on this.

When you have a moment... tell me what you think.

Thanks,

Brian Trout
Quarryville, PA
btrout@desupernet.net