Modern historical temperaments, was Re: If

[A440A@AOL.COM]

Greetings, 
    Carl writes: 
> I would be interested in knowing how tuners who tune historical
>temperaments deal with the the issue of determining how an oddly scaled
>piano will affect beat rates of all or just some intervals.  

       An odd scale's inequality is more easily hidden in the graduated
dissonances of a well temperament than it is out on the rigid grid of ET.  
      The effect from a set of chromatic chords played on ET can be damaged if
there is a more highly tempered step in there. (<now beginning to stretch
analogies until they disappear>   a pebble is more evident on a paved driveway
than a gravel one,  a slighty askew brick stands out more if the wall is
completely regular, etc)
         Whereas it is easy to discern the wide third in ET,   when there is a
whole range of widths,(as in a HT) it becomes difficult to hear the slight
deviations from theory. They fall below the "sonar screen", and as such, have
virtually no bearing on the music's effect.  

Carl again:
>I guess I am concerned that this interest in historical temperaments in
>the last few years could lead to newcomers to our profession deciding
>that the ability to set an equal temperament by aurally measuring each
>piano's inharmonicity is not really important.  Just invent your own
>modern historical temperament and off you go.  No one will notice.

    I gotta say that this is an alarming tangent.   The revival of HT's is
occuring because of the machine's easy use of the ET as a point of deviation.
ET will increasingly be seen as the standard tuning from which to deviate, not
the only thing available.  
    If a tuner can succeed by "inventing his own modern historical
temperament", then that just means there is no competition nearby.  With more
educated tuners around, this is a self-leveling situation.  
     The benifits of multi-temperament ability are far more valuable than the
slight risks that are encountered.  This is going to be a fair part of the HT
class in KC this year.  I welcome all comments and opinions on the whole
subject, since a working, viable dialogue is the first step in broadening the
knowledge.  
Regards, 
Ed Foote