K.C. class

[Frank Weston]

Ed,

I hesitate to reply since I'm not a guild member and won't be attending
seminars.  But, as you know I do have an interest in historical
temperaments, and I have experienced a range of questions from musicians
interested in the subject.

In my opinion, the most important issue affecting acceptance of different
temperaments is an understanding of the musical context in which each was
developed or evolved and how each applies to the music of a specific
period.  While tuners my be most interested in how to tune and test a
temperament, this knowledge is relatively worthless without knowing what
the temperament is good for.

I suggest that a large part of your presentation should be devoted to
answering fundamental questions.  How did the Western scale evolve?  What
compromises are necessary for keyboard music and why?  Trace the path of
evolution of temperaments and discuss why each temperament was suited to
the music and technology of a particular era.  Compare the types of
temperament, discussing pros and cons of each.  Once this information has
been presented, then proceed with a discussion of tuning methods and
techniques for the temperaments in which you are most interested.

The people who argue the loudest against (and for) historical temperaments
probably do so because of a lack of a complete understanding of the history
and music theory involved.  There are appropriate applications for many
different temperaments.  If the knowledge of what those applications are
and why they exist were more widespread, just possibly a lot of the inane
arguments that appear on this list would disappear.

Frank Weston    

----------
> From: A440A@AOL.COM
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: K.C. class
> Date: Monday, December 28, 1998 8:00 AM
> 
>  Greetings, 
> 
>     I posted this earlier, and got absolutely no response, so I must
wonder if
> the pre holiday whirl was enough to submerge it.  Thus, I will post again
and
> just go from there., 
> 
>      I have been asked to present a class on  historical tuning at the
> convention in K.C. this summer.  I would like to make this as practical
and
> applicable a class as possible, so I invite comments from the online tech
> community inre what would be of most value or interest.   
>     If you would like to suggest topics, comments, suggestions, etc. for
what
> would be of interest, please do.  Either private email to me, or right
here on
> the list. 
> Regards, 
> Ed Foote