Normalization of Historical Temperaments

Billbrpt@AOL.COM Billbrpt@AOL.COM
Thu, 21 Feb 2002 11:43:08 EST


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In a message dated 2/21/02 10:22:15 AM Central Standard Time, 
rscott@wwnet.net (Robert Scott) writes:


> So my question is, which is more important to you when you tune an 
> historical temperament - the average pitch of the whole piano or the 
> absolute pitch of A

This is a good and important question especially since I know of one HT 
practitioner who absolutely will *NOT* start a temperament on anything but C4 
read at C5 at 0.0.  No matter what I say, no matter how many times I ask, 
"What does 523.3 have to do with anything?", the absolute revulsion and 
physical reaction to a C being anything but 0.0 is the overriding factor.

My answer is this question is that the A should be tuned to it's usual 
standard, 440, with a tolerance of 1 hertz or 4 cents.  For the most part, I 
like my A4 to be as close to 440 as I can get it in any professional setting.

Now, the goal of normalizing for average pitch is important to consider as 
well and I do keep it in mind, especially when tuning the EBVT.  In fact, I 
usually have my average pitch closer to theoretical ET than most calculated 
ET programs, far closer.  But most commonly used HT's will fall far closer to 
standard pitch for the average note when A is at 0 cents deviation than when 
C is.  I would therefore recommend that the usual way to publish this 
information be with A at 0 cents deviation.  This is the way that Owen 
Jorgensen has chosen, the way he recommended to Dr. Sanderson that it be done 
and for the reasons I mentioned.

However, when there is the space and opportunity to present any given 
temperament in different ways, why not present all 3 alternatives?  You are a 
computer expert, so shifting these figures around would be a simple task, I 
would imagine.  I have several new versions of Jason Kanter's graphs waiting 
in the wings to be put on my website.  I am really impressed at how quickly 
he can present the information in different ways.

By the way, I treat *all* tunings as if they were a pitch change, whether 
starting on pitch or not.  When I finish my tuning, I actually like to have 
the tuning be what I intend, not what I wish it were.

Bill Bremmer RPT
Madison, Wisconsin
 <A HREF="http://www.billbremmer.com/">Click here: -=w w w . b i l l b r e m m e r . c o m =-</A> 

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