Rules for Well Temperament

[Vanderhoofven]

At 12:03 AM 1/30/98 EST, you wrote:
A modified Meantone also breaks some of
>the basic rules of a Well-Temperament but often the Victorianized type is
>mitigated to the point where it is in line with those rules and can thus be
>called a Well-Temperament too.

>Bill Bremmer RPT
>Madison, Wisconsin

Dear Bill,

I don't want to ask what may be an obvious question, but what are the rules
for Well-Temperament?

I know that Equal Temperament is supposed to have pur unisons, octaves
stretched to a lesser or greater amount, fifths that are contracted
slightly from pure (about 1/2 a beat), fourths that are expanded from pure
(about 1 beat), and thirds, sixths, tenths, etc. that progress evenly and
slightly increase in speed as you play up the scale.

But, I don't know what the rules for Well-Temperament are.  I have never
heard of that.

Would you mind responding?

Sincerely,
David

David A. Vanderhoofven, RPT
Joplin, Missouri, USA        
e-mail:  dkvander@clandjop.com

web page:  http://www.clandjop.com/~dkvander/
#pianotech page:  http://www.clandjop.com/~dkvander/ircpiano.html