Meantone Temperament

[Farrell]

Glad you wrote Ed. I just wanted to know how far out was far out. I have the
Vallotti on my wife's piano now. She and I both love it. I had put equal
back on it a few weeks ago, and she immediately had me put the Vallotti back
on. I will try a couple of the others the next few times I tune. I try to
tune it once a month or so. So you like Young with Beethoven? Perhaps I will
try that next. She plays alot of Beethoven and Chopin. Thanks for your
input. I look forward to broadening my temperament horizons, and learning
more about their characteristics.

Terry Farrell
Piano Tuning & Service
Tampa, Florida
mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com

----- Original Message -----
From: <A440A@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2000 9:36 PM
Subject: Re: Meantone Temperament


> Terry writes:
> <<  I just tuned an old Mason & Hamlin upright in my shop with a
>
> Meanton 1/6 Comma temperament with my SAT III. Did it just for the yahoo -
>
> never heard an extreme temperament like that before.  . Keys with a
>
> bunch of sharps or flats are virtually unplayable - YUK! Key of C really
>
> kinda sounds horrid, everything is so still - it sounds dead. I guess I'm
so
>
> used to hearing some elements of out-or-tuneness.  >>
>
> Greetings,
>      Shezaaaaammm!!  You started out way over in the tall weeds! You may
be
> used to some elements,  but let's also consider that the 1/6C tuning may
have
> been so far from what the composer was using that you have, in effect,
> changed the notes. (this happens when enharmonic distinctions are being
made.
>  You can't use a G# for an Ab)   Experimentation is valuable, even an
extreme
> departure provides an additional perpsective.
>      Before you retune it, you might want to hear some jazz stuff.  I have
> been stunned at how much dissonance can be used and still sound good in
some
> jazz extemporizing I have heard around here. (Avery is cooking up
SOMETHING
> in Houston with this idea, too).  The use of new intonation needn't be
> limited to the synths and computer keyboards, today.  Meantone Jazz is
going
> to happen.
>     If you play this temperament for any length of time, you will return
to
> hear ET with a totally new appreciation for its own particular sound.
(I'll
> say it again, ET is one of the really fine sounding temperaments.)
>     If you are in the mood for broadening your harmonic horizons, (and I
> applaud the effort), I would like to suggest you try a well temperament.
A
> Broadwood's Best, or the Coleman 11 for a slight "organic shaping" of the
> intervals. If you want to maximize it for Beethoven and the 1800 crowd,  I
> think a Young is close to perfect, though the Kirnbergers make things
> profound, in places.  Heck,  they are all good when the right music gets
> played on them.
>    Let us know what sounds best.
> Regards,
> Ed Foote
>
>