<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16674" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV>I think the only way a violonist could play in ET is by putting frets on the fingerboard. </DIV> <DIV> But that would defeat the purpose of the instrument. Maybe you mean he is tuning his open strings with an electronic tuner, however as he plays he will still play where the pure intervals are, and when he plays in ensemble, he will instinctively adjust the pitches in pure intervals. You call a pure 5th crappy but to my ear it really is beautiful. </DIV> <DIV>And when the professors say "pianos are never in tune" they are right in a way, because what we tuners do is find happy compromises for those 88 fix pitches to get along together. The beauty of an instrument on which you can adjust the pitch as you play is that you can really play in tune, in the moment, in the context. For example you will play a C at a certain height in pitch when it's a fundamental, but if it's a 3rd you will certainly put it a lot lower instinctively. But if that same C is the leading tone of Db, you will then instinctively put it a lot higher. That's expressive intonation. ET is a compromise. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Jean-Luc</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 6/29/2008 8:02:30 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time, eve_ane@hotmail.co.uk writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Tahoma color=#000000 size=2>Fortuntely atleast one violinist i heard so far tunes in ET and not that crappy  pure 5ths... I thought my significant other to tune his violin in ET, after a year of struggle he keeps thanking me.. says the sound vinally stopped "slicing" his ears and sounds in warm harmony... From associating with them... violinists not only tend to think strangely bout their own instruments.. but worse. rat down on pianos... I was told by him that while he was studying, his professors always said "pianos are never in tune"... and some worse things... <BR> <BR>Sorry to change the subject, i thought id mention ET.<BR> <BR>Alicia<BR><BR>> Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:56:17 +0100<BR>> From: ricb@pianostemmer.no<BR>> To: pianotech@ptg.org<BR>> Subject: Wives tales ...<BR>> <BR>> "Sadly, it's often pianists themselves."<BR>> <BR>> Violinists and Bureaucratic Cultural Pamps are also very high on that list.<BR>> <BR>> RicB<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR><BR><BR> <HR> <A title=http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/msnnkmgl0010000010ukm/direct/01/ href="http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/msnnkmgl0010000010ukm/direct/01/" target=_new>Get Started! </A>=</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient <A title="http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut00050000000007" href="http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut00050000000007" target="_blank">used cars</A>.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>