Andrew writes: << It has been suggested to me that well-temperaments on nasty little pianos might improve them audibly. I haven't done that un-announced on a customer's piano yet, but...;-) >> You will be amazed how many console and spinet owners are impressed by the use of something as mild as Broadwood's Best. Very few of these owners play much in 5 sharps or flats, so tuning a WT is more like customizing the consonance for their use. On balance, the use of WT reduces the sum total amount of consonance, UNLESS, all 12 keys are used democratically. This rarely is the case. After these 11 years of trying these things out in all sorts of venues, I have just about figured out who will like them and who won't. The people playing modern pop music or strictly 20th century music, usually don't, unless they stay in the 6 simplest keys (from A to Eb). The people playing the classical repertoire,(pre 1850) almost all fall head over heels in love with the sound. The pure fifths tuning is a bit "hot" for some, but the jazz musicians like it, and for concerto work, it does make the piano more "present" in front of an orchestra. Most of the string players are playing sharp above C5, anyway..... Regards, Ed Foote RPT http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
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