ET, Bach and other stuff

[Richard Moody]

----- Original Message -----
From: <PianoTek4u@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, April 17, 2000 6:50 PM
Subject: Re: ET, Bach and other stuff


.  By the time of Arcangelo Corelli in the 1680's....the
> major/minor key system was firmly established and the modal system faded
from
> music.  Needless to say, the practicality of tuning in some form of ET
went
> hand in hand with these developments.  I hope this "nutshell" history
lesson
> was enjoyable and perhaps others can expound on some points even further.
> Thanks.
>
> AGB

    Very interesting and well written.  Perhaps you can recomend a lay
person's music histroy book, or history of music theory if such a work
exists.   I would have guessed that keys and key signatures along with the
major and minor scales besides the "modes" would have been known at least
since the appearance of the keyboard which I have heard can be traced back
to the 13th century.  The music staff must have had an influence also.
    An interesting "fact" seems to be emerging that the keyboard has had
only one known form.  There were systems of levers for organs but those I
don't think can be called "finger keys".  So did the first keyboard appear
on a stringed instrument or an organ?  ---ric