Has anyone ever heard of a "Jazz" tuning?

[Jason Kanter]

Sorry, I do not know how Jarrett likes his piano tuned. The article indicates that he tunes his own harpsichord. He's a strange bird ... he apparently prepares for an improvisational concert by *not* touching the piano for a couple of weeks beforehand, so that everything is completely fresh/new.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stéphane Collin" <collin.s@skynet.be>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2002 11:38 AM
Subject: Re: Has anyone ever heard of a "Jazz" tuning?


Re: Has anyone ever heard of a "Jazz" tuning?Hi Jason

Very interesting article about Jarrett.  Thanks for the link.  But I did understand Jarrett chose Werkmeister for a Bach recording on harpsichord.  Do you think (it is a simple question) he chooses it for jazz music on a modern piano ?

I feel harpsichord needs something more than a piano to make his notes sing truly, as the tone color can not change on it.  So harmonic changes are then very welcome to make the harpsichord sing, as are the complex rythmical free changes needed to make the harpsichord keep the interest of the phrase high.  By the way, these are the two only possiblilities for harpsichord to be expressive : temperament and rythmical alterations.

Do you know what Jarrett chose for his bach recordings on piano ?


Stéphane Collin.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jason Kanter 
  To: pianotech@ptg.org 
  Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2002 4:48 PM
  Subject: Re: Has anyone ever heard of a "Jazz" tuning?


  Jarrett likes Werckmeister. See this interesting, though flawed, article (the reporter didn't understand much of what Jarrett said about temperaments)...

  http://www.culturekiosque.com/jazz/miles/rhemile13.htm


  ..........
  .  jason kanter . jkanter@rollingball.com . training consulting services
  .  sales & service competency training . classroom & web-based
  .  in bellevue: 425 562 4127 . cell 425 830 1561 . fax 425 562 4132
  .  14847 ne 14th st . bellevue wa 98007
  .  on orcas: 360 376 2799 . 136 perch tree lane . eastsound wa 98245
  ............................... 


    From: Stéphane Collin <collin.s@skynet.be>
    Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org
    Date: Tue, 9 Apr 2002 07:48:27 +0200
    To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
    Subject: Re: Has anyone ever heard of a "Jazz" tuning?




    Hi, Dave and Juliet

    I would tune the bass so the third partial (sol a twelfth above do) is quite in tune.  This would cause the fifth partial (mi) to be less in tune, but in jazzy alterated chords, this is much less a problem than in the perfect chords of classical music.  What you get then is a much stronger feel of solid basement for dissonant harmony, interesting for letting the dissonances sing, without loosing the feel of tonality too much.

    Just my own opinion, no more.

    By the way, I like very much the sound of Keith Jarrett recordings.  This sounds not only like ET, but mostly like Keith Jarrett.  A friend of mine did a very clear demonstration that on any temperament (between reasonable limits), you can make any chord sound very harmonious or very awful, just by mixing differently the volumes of the notes you are playing, and controlling carefully their brillance.

    Stéphane Collin.

      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: David and Julie Streit <mailto:pianomann777@hotmail.com>  
      To: pianotech@ptg.org 
      Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2002 3:39 AM
      Subject: Has anyone ever heard of a "Jazz" tuning?

      I had a friend from Arkansas call and ask me a question.  This friend is learning how to tune and one of her "guinea pigs" requested that her piano be tuned to the "jazz" method.  All I can think of is that maybe a "Jazz" tuning is some kind of newfangled temperament. Maybe Arkansas just has it's own way of being different. :0)

      Has anyone ever heard of the "Jazz Method"?  And can you explain it?

      Thanks,

      Dave Streit, RPT
      AAA Piano Service
      Beaverton, OR