what is the best temperament?

[Conrad Hoffsommer]

Sisu, Martin!

At 17:51 12/11/2000 +0200, you wrote:
>I´m new to the list.
>
>how many different temperations are there??? and what are the best ways of 
>doing them?
>i don´t know what temperament to learn. what would be the best one and how 
>should i practise?
>im a newbie.
>are there any instructions on how to set a temperament? i know one way of 
>doing it but people say that there are better ones...
>
>please help me.,  i wan´t to learn to tune a piano properly!!!


Welcome to the temperament war zone!

There are as many temperaments as you will ever want to attempt.  There are 
several excellent books which give tuning instructions for Equal, Meantone 
and "Well" temperaments.

There are some on this list who are adament about using the most common 
temperament  - 12 tone equal temperament to the exclusion of all others.

There are others on this list who are equally vociferous in their 
championing the use of historical temperaments such as Meantone and Well to 
the exclusion of all others.

There are those in the middle who see the advantages and disadvantages of 
all three general categories of temperaments and use the most appropriate 
one for a given situation.

If you have not yet learned more than one temperament, I would suggest that 
you try obtaining a copy of one of the Owen Jorgensen books through your 
library.  There are other sources for temperament instructions, however, 
including several members of this list.

My prejudice is that I am an aural tuner, but even if you plan to use an 
electronic tuning device, I would advise that you first learn aural tuning.

(Pre-first - find a mentor.)

First, learn to tune Pythagorean tuning.  This will teach you to recognise 
a pure Fourth (IV) and pure (V) and where to listen for beats.  The unison 
is also a pure interval - learn to recognise it!  You will also learn very 
quickly what "false" beats are...  ;-{

Then learn a couple of meantone schemes.  This will reinforce your V and IV 
recognition and add pure major third (M3) and perhaps even some pure minor 
thirds (m3). It will introduce you to "tempering", which is the controlled 
mistuning of intervals.  Since you will then know what pure sounds are, you 
will more easily recognise the "out-of-tuneness" of tempering.

Proceed to learn a couple of "well" temperaments.  This will go further in 
acquainting your ear to both pure and tempered intervals.

Then, learn equal temperament.  It has NO pure intervals, so is the most 
difficult.  You will have all the tools necessary by this point, 
however.  You will know what pure intervals are, where to listen for beats, 
how to compare beat speeds of two or more intervals and will have been 
working on your hammer technique to ensure that what you want, stays.

If you are a pianist and have been experimenting on your own instrument, 
keep each temperament on your instrument for at least a week while you play 
through all your favorite repetoire.  This will familiarize you with the 
idiosyncracies (good and bad) for each temperament.

Patience.   This is not something mastered in two weeks.


My 2.8 cents,
Conrad


Conrad Hoffsommer - Music Technician -mailto:hoffsoco@luther.edu
Luther College, 700 College Drive, Decorah, Iowa 52101-1045
Voice-(319)-387-1204  //  Fax (319)-387-1076(Dept.office)

Education is the best defense against the media.