Dave writes: << OK. Great idea. Let's stop talking about it and do it. Bremmer, Foote, Jorgenson: line up 6 C7s; tune 5 in various HT's; tune one by Virgil Smith in ET; it would be the real truth..... Uh, Dave? it's deceptively easy to volunteer others, however, where's your name on the list? You would have to put your rolling-fourths ET up there, no? And, what would the music be? All Mozart? 2 pieces from each century of the piano' history? Ives? The Scott Joplin junkie may find a different truth than our Bach specialist. However, there is another problem with the return you would get on this much work. After hearing three or more temperaments in quick order, the objectivity fades. The problem comes from trying to make decisions on sensory values, not intellectual ones. The physical, scientifically demonstrated effects of dissonance cause a lot of things to go on in a listener. (One of my friends can't listen to classical music in WT because it makes him too nervous) Judgement is like a muscle, it is especially tiring to use when it is undeveloped and the new listener is often overwhelmed in short order. Since the player, the score, and the mood of the listener all play a part in how attractive the music is, it is not simply a matter of putting out a large number of tunings and getting a "sift" effect to turn up the "best" one. I think side by side comparisons are more effective when trying to encourage more acceptance of non-ET. And having an ET piano beside one in something like a Coleman 11 is always an ear and eye-opener. This is the arrangement I use in my classes at the conventions. The structure of the class is to create a new perspective from which to listen to familiar intonation. The aim is to encourage the technician to broaden their view of what "in tune" really means. We do this by comparing the effects of different keys in a WT, and then comparing that with ET. It is always a lot of work, but fun. Time is usually cramped, hours odd, pay non-existant, noisy environment at times, but if you would volunteer to tune the ET version this summer in Dallas, it would sure be a help. Thanks, Ed Foote RPT www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/ www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
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