Broadwood Best

[Vanderhoofven]

At 12:49 AM 3/6/03, you wrote:
>A couple of issues.  The cents offsets on the web site are given
>to two decimal places.  Ellis only gave whole cent figures.   How
>you can translate whole cent figures into two place I would like
>to know.


Ric, I just checked the cents offsets on the web page compared to the cents 
offsets in Owen Jorgensen's Big Red book "Tuning", and they are the 
same.  Also, they are given as whole numbers in the book and on the web page.

Compare Jorgensen page 558 with the cents offsets on Jason Kanter's web 
page for the Broadwood's Best and they are the same.

Compare Jorgensen page 551 with the cents offsets on Jason Kaneter's web 
page for the Broadwood's Usual, and they are the same.


>      The "best" is said to come from "line 4 "   Actually if you
>look at the original source which is Ellis appendices in
>Helmholtz, the best tuning or the one closest to ET comes from
>line  5 .  So why wasn't that used?

Good Question.  I don't know.  I haven't read Helmholtz or any of Ellis' 
original source material.  I am relying on Jorgensen, who relied on the 
original source materials.

It is interesting that on Jason Kanter's web page under Quasi-Equal 
tunings, there are two by Ellis and one by Broadwood.  The two Ellis 
Quasi-Equal tunings would be virtually indistinguishable from Equal 
Temperament.  The Broadwood Quasi-Equal tuning is pretty close, but is not 
Equal.  However, many musicians would never hear the difference (my opinion).

Good Question.  Why wasn't the Quasi-Equal tuning used?  I don't know.  My 
answer is that the Quasi-Equal tunings removed too much key color, so 
musicians preferred the style of tuning such as the Broadwood Best or the 
Broadwood Usual.  Of course, I am speculating here, as I really don't know.


>     However looking at the original line four from Ellis,  it
>appears the web site is much further from Ellis than #4 was from
>ET.  So the only conclusion can be that some one is mistaken or
>relying on a source too far away from the original which is Ellis'
>figures in Helmholtz.  ---rm
>         "may the source be with you"


I appreciate your questions.  i will continue my search for knowledge.  If 
you come to the Central West Regional in a few weeks, bring your copy of 
Helmholtz and other things you think I should read, and I will bring 
Jorgensen and we can have a good discussion.  I am sure I will learn a 
thing or two from you.

Sincerely,
David Vanderhoofven