historical tuning 1805

[Billbrpt@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 8/18/99 4:37:21 PM Pacific Daylight Time, you write:

<< "There are varying systems of temperament, particularly two: an old and a 
 new one.  >>

I can see where you got the idea that people in the past probably thought in 
terms of only two ways to tune.

Ironically, I think this is still true.  William Braide White's book clearly 
looks at temperament that way too.  He talks only of one alternative to ET, 
"Meantone".  Unfortunately, I think this has lead many to believe that any 
kind of alternative to ET would be somehow unacceptable yet at the same time, 
some very loose interpretations of what by definition has no tolerance, 
equality, are very common.

Bill Bremmer RPT