Historical Temperaments

[Richard Moody]

The whole problem of accuracy (relevance to music) in an HT is
regarding its starting point.  If the temp starts from C, then
chances are A will not be where it is in ET hence not 440.  If A is
the starting point, then C (the C third or C fifth) will be
different.  Now with a machine, the whole thing  can be moved up (or
down) to A440.   This would affect the starting pitch of C in a
different way than if the starting pitch was A440.  Make sense?  I
think this is what I am reading from  Table 70-1 in Jorgensen. In
other words if you want A to be 440 in a  HT you would have to  raise
or lower the starting pitch so that A would come out to be 440.  I
don't see how this could be done by ear. Unless it were worked out on
paper, and then the beats of the starting note from ET were given.  
But if instrument players don't mind tuning from C or the starting
pitch of the HT, then I don't see where this matters.  Once again a
consultation with  musicians is needed. Whever you start in HT, that
starting pitch will be in ET, unless one is tuning from an historical
pitch reference. Such as tuning a meantone to 435.  
Richard Moody 

----------
> From: Robert Scott <rscott@wwnet.net>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Historical Temperaments
> Date: Tuesday, February 10, 1998 9:53 AM
> 
> But I wonder if A-440 is that relevant to HTs.  Suppose you have an
HT
> that is defined in terms of cents offset from equal temperament.
> Further suppose that for this particular HT, the offset for A from
equal
> temperament is fairly large.  Then what good does it do to force A
to be
> 440 if in so doing the rest of the temperament is forced to be
quite far
> from their equal temperament counterparts?  
> 
> Bob Scott
> Ann Arbor, Michigan
> Detroit-Windsor Chapter, PTG