<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2>In a message dated 7/15/01 12:21:42 AM Central Daylight Time,
<BR>jformsma@dixie-net.com (John M. Formsma) writes:
<BR>
<BR>
<BR><BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px"><< hear
<BR> for yourselves the difference a mild, cycle of 5ths based temperament with
<BR>octaves that use the piano's own inharmonicity to ease the harshness of the
<BR>Pythagorean Comma can make. >>
<BR>
<BR>Thanks for telling us about this. I was only able to hear it from about
<BR>10:20 on, but there was an extended jazz trio (?) at about 10:30, and I
<BR>heard the piano then. It was hard for me to hear a difference with all the
<BR>rest of the stuff going on, but it sounded fine. I would have liked to have
<BR>heard a progression on thirds, and some 10ths and 17ths, because, you know,
<BR>that is the way to *really* tell if it is right. ;-)
<BR>
<BR>Did you do your normal two-pass tuning, or did you spend more time on it
<BR>since it was to be on national radio?</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BR></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">
<BR>I should have mentioned that the two Jazz interludes occur near the half
<BR>hour. You apparently heard one of them. "I couldn't tell the difference" is
<BR>actually a compliment and one of the goals. If you couldn't tell the
<BR>difference, why would it be a way of tuning the piano which is subject to so
<BR>much doubt and criticism?
<BR>
<BR>The goal is a cleaner, clearer sound from the piano, not a wierd or harsh
<BR>one. I definitely heard that. However, with the equipment I had to listen on
<BR>and the AM broadcast, the tone sounded a little shallow, nearly to the point
<BR>of being "tinny"
<BR>to me but I could hear the effects I intended and that perhaps only I fully
<BR>understand.
<BR>
<BR>You could not have heard the EBVT in performance last year even if I had
<BR>come. I was only given 45 minutes to play intervals so you could hear how
<BR>"weird" it sounds and laugh at it. In any case, I could not have come anyway
<BR>because I managed to sustain an injury June 25, 2000, that meant I could
<BR>barely work for quite a while. I will have surgery for it in August and
<BR>should be at full strength come July 2002.
<BR>
<BR>I spent 3 1/2 hours tuning the piano. First off, it was a good 10 cents
<BR>sharp, so I used the program for a Kawai KG-2D which is in another theater to
<BR>bring it down to pitch and get it basically in tune. This took 2 complete
<BR>tunings.
<BR>
<BR>I then measured pitch and crafted a custom tuning, note by note which I
<BR>stored in the Accu-Tuner. In each of the 4 sections of the piano, I
<BR>determined the exact value for each note, stored it and when the section was
<BR>complete, I tuned the unisons. After the unison tuning, I gave each note 3
<BR>or 4 hard test blows, then inserted my muting strips and tuned a final, 4th
<BR>time. I took all the time I needed to carefully listen to each note and try
<BR>it in chords and other combinations. I took a short break each hour.
<BR>
<BR>Fortunately, with the "dog days" schedule a little lighter, I had enough time
<BR>for what normally would have been 2 appointments, so I used that time to
<BR>practice my art, even though I was only being paid for an "ordinary" tuning.
<BR>
<BR>If you really want to see and hear what the difference I can make in tuning
<BR>is, you'll just have to convince the Institute Committee of the importance
<BR>and demand to attend are of what I offer. Remember that a piano tuned in
<BR>EBVT with tempered octaves would FAIL the PTG Exam. What you heard on the
<BR>radio today might be considered SUBSTANDARD if you think about it in a
<BR>certain way. Yet, here I am saying that it is, for once a real improvement
<BR>over what has been considered to be the very best for quite a few years.
<BR>
<BR>I can only claim "improvement" and use the word, "better" because I have come
<BR>up with something no one else has: manipulation of temperament AND octaves.
<BR>None of the electronic tuning programs can reproduce exactly what I do. But
<BR>you can do it if you only take the trouble to try to learn and get enough
<BR>other people interested so that there is sufficient demand for the 2002
<BR>Convention in Chicago.
<BR>
<BR>The very best showcase would be to get one of the manufacturers who puts on a
<BR>recital to have me tune their piano for it. You could also get Virgil Smith
<BR>RPT to tune ET on an identical piano to the one I would tune in EBVT and have
<BR>a pianist play examples of music on both.
<BR>
<BR>I'm also willing to demonstrate what I do at any Chapter meeting or Regional
<BR>Seminar that I could get to.
<BR>
<BR>Bill Bremmer RPT
<BR>Madison, Wisconsin</FONT></HTML>