It's not.<br><br>There is a great book, quite recently published, called "How Equal Temperament Ruined Harmony (and Why You Should Care" by Ross W. Duffin. It's been mentioned on this list before, but really only mentioned. It's available on Amazon:
<br><a href="http://amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/103-5291581-1635801?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=equal+temperament+ruined+harmony&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go">http://amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/103-5291581-1635801?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=equal+temperament+ruined+harmony&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go
</a><br>for $17.13. It's not geared directly towards pianos, but very worthwhile nonetheless. <br><br>My far more musical older sister, whom I'd not seen for a few years, started mentioning it to me at our parents' home one day... I finished the name of the book for her and then produced it out of my luggage. She plays viola da gamba in a baroque ensemble and is music specialist at a university library. For my money, the recommendation doesn't get much better.
<br><br>Paul Bruesch<br>Stillwater, MN<br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 10/21/07, <b class="gmail_sendername"><a href="mailto:KeyKat88@aol.com">KeyKat88@aol.com</a></b> <<a href="mailto:KeyKat88@aol.com">KeyKat88@aol.com
</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
<div>Greetings,</div>
<div> </div>
<div> Why is equal temperament the only way to solve the dividing of octaves? I know that the beautifully mathematical solution on paper <em>sounds and works</em> fine, but what if there a way we could be missing out on something, such as better sounding music? Havent we manipulated string lengths and diameters to force
E.T. to sound well? What information am I missing here?</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Julia Gottshall</div>
<div>Reading, PA </div><br><br><br><div><font style="color: black; font-family: ARIAL,SAN-SERIF; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
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