21st century tonality

[Dave Doremus]

Ed, I must again disagree.


 The use of Owen Jorgensen's aural
>instructions and the use of his SAT offsets produce the same results.  (ok,
>maybe not "same" to the zillionth of a cent, but far beyond the ability to
>discriminate musically between the two, i.e. you may be able to find a
>deviation by testing, but 99% of the pianists will never tell them apart by
>playing music on them).

This may be true, but there is a major difference in producing a
temperament by following a machine, and understanding what and why you are
doing it. Suppose, as has happened to me, a temp chosen by the artist for a
recording session (a modified Valotti as it happened) was, on the third day
found to not be pleasant in the key of F#. If you understand your
temperament you can quickly adjust the key signature, if you tune only by
the box your sitting there with your thumb up your nose.Same thing with 1/4
comma meantone, you have to switch sharps and flats between pieces, easy by
ear, hard if you depend on finding the right page in the machine and you
left the print out at home.

I am (emphatically) not attacking ETD's. I have an SAT and use it a lot,
have gotten very attached to it in a year. What I dont like, is the idea
that it is a good thing to plug it in, turn it on and go, with out
understanding the context, use and sound of the different temperaments.
(Wow, this one comes with 57 varieties, lets put one on this spinet and
another on the concert grand.) Its great that people are playing with HT's.
It thrills me no end. But I dont think you learn to appreciate the play of
tonality by listening to a record. You have to dig in and muck around with
the intervals with your bare hands, find what you like for what music and
make it work. Not follow the lights and trust in someone elses work.

Sorry if Im not explaining well, I have to write in ahurry between work and
kids etc.

Dave


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Dave Doremus RPT

New Orleans
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