historical tuning 1805

[Billbrpt@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 8/21/99 11:44:45 AM Pacific Daylight Time, you write:

<< > tuning four fifths flat 1/4 comma to produce a pure third.
 
 I would be most useful, in thinking through these concepts, if you
 people would use "expanded" and "contracted" intervals.  I get
 confused when trying to "flatten" an interval using the lower note to
 contract an interval.
 
 I am interested in HTs but am mainly an ET tuner now that I am out of
 the University scene.
  >>

You are absolutely right.  Strictly speaking, you would have to tune both 
notes of an interval flat of standard pitch in order for the *interval* to be 
"flattened".  However, to be kind, and also to understand what people meant 
historically, "narrowed", "contracted" and "flattened" could all be taken to 
mean the same thing as well as "widened, "expanded" and "sharpened" (when 
speaking of an interval).  Also "pure", "perfect" and "beatless" may be 
considered synonymous.

There still seems to be the mindset that as a tuner, you could only do two 
things:  tune a perfect ET or tune something at completely the opposite end 
of the spectrum, the 1/4 comma meantone.  I haven't really tuned either one 
for over 10 years for any customer and I have never been associated with any 
university.  There have been only a few exceptions and those have been the 
tuning of ET for a PTG RPT "Master" Tuning and once when I did the 1/4 comma 
meantone on my own piano at home and once when I did it for Owen Jorgensen at 
the Convention in Dearborne.

The 1/4 comma meantone is really a very extreme way to tune a modern piano.  
It absolutely kills every bit of resonance that the piano is capable of 
producing.  You get the stillest, quietest sound you could possibly imagine.  
It transforms the very nature of the piano into having a kind of "antique 
piano" sound.  Many would call it "weird".  It is however appropriate for 
playing very early music.  Owen Jorgensen himself states plainly that ET is 
not.

It is suggested that a technician learn to do it as a very basic skill in HT 
tuning, on one's own piano or that of a friend who might be interested.  It 
will be so far off from ET that it will take at least two tunings to get it 
back to ET or whatever other milder temperament you may desire.

My interest has been in finding the most musically appropriate temperament 
and octave arrangement for tuning the modern piano.  Some, if not most 
believe that strict ET with "naturally" stretched octaves serves best as a 
"one size fits all" arrangement but I believe there is a more appropriate 
choice and that is what I do for all of my customers.

Bill Bremmer RPT