jazz tuning

[Billbrpt@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 4/3/99 6:30:54 AM Central Standard Time, 
bases-loaded@juno.com writes:

<< Thanks to all who weighed in on what may constitute a "jazz tuning".  I
 had certainly decided that with all the key modulation and extended
 chords and rich coloring inherent in jazz playing, ET was a choice that
 surely would not disappoint most players.  It's hard to argue with
 David's wish list of solid unisons, clean octaves, and a well-executed
 ET, eh?  (snip)

Here I just have to go again.  It really was a kind of April Fools answer 
that I gave but it's what everybody just *believes*.  With all that 
*modulation* and everything, it would *have* to be ET, wouldn't it?  It 
wouldn't *disappoint* *most* people, would it?

Well, if we're going to play Bach, it would *have* to be ET, wouldn't it?

Well, if we're going to play Mozart, it would *have* to be ET, wouldn't it?

Well, if we're going to play Beethoven, it would *have* to be ET, wouldn't it?

Well, if we're going to play Brahms, it would *have* to be ET, wouldn't it?

Well, if we're going to play Chopin, it would *have* to be ET, wouldn't it?

Well, if we're going to play Ragtime, it would *have* to be ET, wouldn't it?

Well, if we're going to play Broadway Musicals, it would *have* to be ET, 
wouldn't it?

Well, if we're going to play Jazz, it would *have* to be ET, wouldn't it?

Well, if we're going to play Blues, it would *have* to be ET, wouldn't it?

Well, if we're going to play Rock & Roll, it would *have* to be ET, wouldn't 
it?

Well, if we're going to play New Age, it would *have* to be ET, wouldn't it?

Well, if we're not going to *offend* anybody, it would *have* to be ET, 
wouldn't it?

The answer to *all* of the above, my friends is, I'm sorry to offend and 
disturb your peace of mind, *no*.

 ET is always the answer for those who "just thought that because we don't 
know what key or what music or where it will *modulate* or who will play the 
piano next or who will tune the piano next and because we need to provide a 
"neutral palate" and because that's the way I was taught and because that's 
the way they do it on the Exam and because somebody might *tell* on me and 
because I wouldn't know *which* of all those HT's I might try and because I 
am afraid of the "wolf" and because we need to play in *all* the keys because 
I couldn't be bothered worrying about whether a note is really a G# instead 
of an Ab while I'm busy *playing* and *expressing* myself and because I 
wouldn't want to *change* the way I play just because of the way the piano is 
tuned and just *because*, we just always tune ET and it's ET if we *say* it 
is because nobody except that one fanatical guy *ever* said anything about 
something called Reverse Well".

For all the rest, there is something to discover and to enrich your life and 
the quality of music in your community.

<< One other thing that occurred to me is that the differences between the
 three tunings offered by this technician - Jazz, Classical, Pop - might
 actually be in name only, in an effort to make the customer feel like
 they are getting a customized tuning.  A devious thought, to be sure, but
 an idle mind......
 
 Mark Potter >>

Now, you really are getting closer to the truth.

Bill Bremmer RPT
Madison, Wisconsin