<HTML>In a message dated 6/27/02 2:20:24 PM Central Daylight Time, cadunn@vt2000.com (Clair Dunn) writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">I very casually checked some of the numbers against the ET and found very small differences. However, I did definitely hear a difference. I would like to know more about the Moore temperament specifically if anyone has information about it. I did read the info again on your site Bill (I had read it before). Why is it called the Moore temperament and what is the general consensus about the audible differences? What struck *my* ears was a brighter tenor/treble section. Noticably "crisper" and cleaner -- I know these are terribly subjective words, but it's the best I can do. Am I hearing right?? So, I want to extend my thanks to Bill Bremmer and the rest of you folks for making me curious. I actually tuned a customer's piano with the Moore yesterday. They have two pianos--the daughter plays the fairly decent Lesage Console and the husband plays the big old Ellington upright (1911). It was the Ellington I tuned with the Moore. (--after I talked to my customer about it. She deals in Victoriana and I thought she might be interested--she was. But she's not going to tell her husband, to see if he notices any differnce.) These are regular customers of mine and the piano is in good shape and holds a tune well. Anyway, thanks again</BLOCKQUOTE>. I very much appreciate your interest.  I'm quite busy at the moment and will be leaving for Chicago tomorrow for 3 days of performances downtown.  You hit on a number of issues.  I have never tried the Moore temperament but assume it is named after the person who designed it.  I never use the method which is admittedly the most popular, to apply "correction figures" to an ETD program.  I tune only by ear but often enter my tunings into my SAT as a custom program. I unfortunately cannot comment on the Moore temperament because I have never heard it but can tell by the numerical information that it is similar to what I do with the EBVT except that I have 4 pure 5ths unlike any other Victorian temperament.  It is possible that the Moore has some of the same Equal Beating effects as the EBVT but those are built into the EBVT by design and are specific, not accidental. You noticed that the differences between the Moore and ET are slight but that's where the magic and usefulness of it lie:  in the very slight difference.  Too much difference and it's sure to become unacceptable to some people.  On the other hand, not enough contrast renders a Victorian temperament inadequate for earlier music.  What the EBVT does that is different is to employ the Equal Beating effect to create the illusion of a much stronger temperament yet avoid any harshness.  This makes it useful for all types of music. When playing chromatic 3rds the way one would test for evenness in ET, the first impression one would get when playing the EBVT is a "sloppy" ET, much the same as the remark made by Don Mannino.  However, this is really not a valid way of listening to any HT or Cycle of 5ths based temperament.  I still take this into consideration though, because I know people will do that because it is generally their only frame of reference.  I try to keep my temperament within the bounds of what I know to be acceptable and tolerable to the contemporary ear. The real proof of whether it works is its net effect on the music.  Your customer is not likely to notice the difference without prompting.  But that is a good thing, not a bad one.  If there were to be a large enough effect to be clearly noticeable, it would inevitably end up being rejected.  Virtually no one ever picks up on the fact that a piano which I have tuned in my EBVT has a "sloppy" temperament or any other such negative comment, they only remark about how good the piano sounds and that's the way it should be. Many people have expressed similar comments to yours about how a Victorian temperament makes a piano sound "cleaner, crisper and clearer".  This is no illusion.  It is the desired outcome. Thanks again for your kind remarks.  Let us know of further good results but also of any negative repercussions, should there be any. 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> </HTML>