Temperament selection

[Dean May]

Okay, I did my first WT yesterday, a Yamaha P22. I was pleased with the
results, even my D-flat piece sounded okay. My Pocket RCT doesn't display a
Coleman 10 or 11 so I used the Young-Valetti which someone had recommended a
year or so ago. 

I am wondering about doing it on a church piano that has other instruments
tuned to the piano. Will this be a problem? 

Dean

Dean May             cell 812.239.3359 

PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 

Terre Haute IN  47802


-----Original Message-----
From: A440A at aol.com [mailto:A440A at aol.com] 
Sent: Saturday, April 14, 2007 2:30 PM
To: deanmay at pianorebuilders.com
Subject: Re: Temperament selection

Dean writes: 
<< A great deal of church music is written or played in 3 flats. How would a
mild WT, like the Coleman 10 or 11 do for that key? >>

     It would do fine, in fact, it would be just about like in ET.  This is 
in the exact middle of the circle of fifths, so Eb (and A) are tempered much

like ET.    
            But really, the question is how much tempering can a third take 
before it becomes a liability rather than an asset.  Few musicians or
listeners 
register a faster third as "out of tune" until it exceeds some limit.  That 
limit is, in some degree, dependant on the listener's expectation.  It is 
amazing how little notice is given to the change of temperament if nothing
is said, 
but how huge a thing it is becomes if somebody becomes intimidated by their 
fear of the unknown.  I haven't really heard music that sounded better in
ET, 
unless it was some 20th century compositions and some jazz,(though, many
jazz 
players and songwriters around here are real happy to play in the WT 
environment. 
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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