---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment In a message dated 10/28/01 11:08:29 AM Central Standard Time, A440A@AOL.COM writes: > Werckmeister's ideas of the late 1600's tempered the wolf, opened the > door, and provided a musical scale that exhibited the "character of the > keys", which fell into line with the previously popular,(at least with > theorists) "doctrine of affections". The lack of wolves allowed the sonata > form to develop, ushering in the ever increasing complexity of harmony we > see > Sorry but Werkmeister didn't "temper" any wolves. The so called "wolf" is an untuned interval that is the result of purposefully tuning others to suit musical taste. Since the "wolf" is the waste end of tuning, it is not *tempered* as such. Werkmeister replaced what he considered to be the unusable side of the cycle of 5ths with the barely more usable Pythagorean style harmony which has pure 5ths and very wide 3rds (which are also considered to be "wolves"). Others handled this problem in a different way by tuning milder Meantones in which the 3rds were not pure but which allowed for a more usable 12 tone scale. The 1/5, 1/6 and 1/7 Comma Meantones are examples of these. Still others solved the problem by dividing the one very harsh "wolf" triad between two or more others. The latter is known as the Modified Meantone temperament which many people use(d) in the same way as the Well Tempered tuning is used. This effectively accomplishes the same idea that Werkmeister had of making all 12 keys usable but still provided for a distinctly different character for each. This difference in character of keys is nothing mysterious nor intangible. It has only to do with the beat rates of 3rds & 6ths principally and of whether 4ths & 5ths are pure or tempered and if so, by how much. This is, of course, what is meant by Western intonation, including but not limited to *Waylon, Willie and the Boys*. All one needs to do is compare virtually any music from Western Europe or the New World from any time during the 17th through 20 Centuries to that of anywhere east by southeast of Italy. Our 12 tone keyboard is foreign to their music and their scales, melodies and harmonies are foreign to Western ears. In my opinion, it is a mistake to think that there ever was or is at this time any music worth listening to that ever *requires* ET. ET is merely a choice that is increasingly being seen as the least desirable one to make. The mistaken thinking goes all the way back to Werkmeister's time when virtually departure from 1/4 Syntonic Comma Meantone was dubbed "equal". Even though musicians, composers and tuners may have always thought in terms of ET, a true ET on a keyboard of any type hardly ever really happened, even up to the last part of the 20th Century. Now, there are finally people who can do it, whether by ear or with an ETD and are calling it "perfect" and the process to end all processes. Many, if not most people who can do this want all other kinds of ideas suppressed and eradicated in favor of the one and only *scientific* tuning even though it does not express virtually any music with the best possible intonation. Witness all of the people who have expressed that the piano seems somehow *better* when it has lost to some degree what had been considered *perfect*. In my view, the *perfect* 12 tone keyboard temperament is one which suits the situation and does not violate or negate the *affections* of the keys (or what I prefer to call Key Color) provided by any of the Cycle of 5ths based temperaments. The modern piano is quite different in many ways from the earlier instruments used by 17th through early 19th Century composers. Therefore, using any of the typical earlier HTs that are highly restrictive cause the modern piano to sound *altered* from the way it is intended. The modern piano is a Victorian age instrument as is the concert harp. It makes a lot of sense to tune a scale which is nearly equal but not entirely so and which reflects traditional Cycle of 5ths based harmony. It also makes sense to take advantage of certain acoustical tricks such as those afforded by Equal Beating intervals in both temperament intervals and octaves. These techniques help suppress the undesirable effects of tempering and bring out clarity and resonance. The piano, the harp and other stringed instruments can be tuned to produce a very sweet and pleasing sound and resonance. All that's necessary is a complete understanding, a plan and the determination to do it. Unfortunately, I don't see these ideas in some of the shortcut ETD methods where sets of deviations of other deviations are expected to produce some kind of magical results. Those who understand the goals, the aural processes and know how to use an ETD to really create an artful tuning *design* rather than mindlessly churning out results which are dubious, erroneous, the goal unknown and misunderstood are the ones who are keeping the *dead end* of tuning evolution open. I don't tune in ET and I don't use my SAT's FAC program because I know far superior methods. In my experience, nearly anyone who says he/she really *wants* ET doesn't really know why and is making that determination out of institutionalized ignorance and misunderstanding. I typically tune the common, in home piano *twice through completely* (assuring accuracy and stability) in 30-45 minutes. A concert tuning where I make 3 complete passes may take as much as an hour. I can tune to about the same degree of accuracy and stability either aurally or with the SAT in about the same amount of time. The programs I create entirely from scratch that provide a foundation for what I do may take 2-3 hours to create but once accomplished, they provide a firm foundation for the ordinary and high level tuning that I do routinely. For those who wonder why it takes some people much longer to tune, a study of procedures, muting techniques and concentration are what is in order. My speed has increased steadily over the years. I can tune about twice as fast now as I could 15 years ago. Learning to use the SAT actually slowed me down considerably for about 3 years. I don't really use it for speed as much as I do ease of attaining consistency and stability with a very significant reduction of overall stress being the most important benefit. Bill Bremmer RPT Madison, Wisconsin ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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