Question regarding Well Temp. Tuning

[Eugenia Carter]

Ed, Richard, AND Everyone,

Value judgements are _always_ based on the perception of the individual.

Let's not get into another ET or HT bashing series PLEASE! Discussions -
great; non-acceptance of other's views - not great! For those of you who
tune only in ET - that is your option. For those of you who tune only in
HT - that is your option. For those of you who tune both - that's your
option too.

Ed you made two statements:

>Based on what I am seeing,
> there are a growing number of pianists that, after being introduced to the
> alternatives, use words other than "delightful" to describe ET .  "Boring"
> "tedious" and "edgy" are three common adjectives I hear.

And some of us have had the same kind of negative statements describing HT
tunings we have done on pianist's pianos.

and

>After 5
> years of providing these tunings, I have had six customers that wanted to
> return to ET.

Currently I service quite a few customers whose pianos were tuned in HTs by
other technicians. These customers called me because they did not like the
HT tuning and were embarrassed or just didn't want to debate with the
technician who previously tuned their piano in the HT.

More power to any technician who strives to serve the customer in what he or
she considers to be the best possible way. As long as the technician takes
into account the customer's needs, desires, and pocketbook, our profession
is better served.

My two cents.

Gina

----- Original Message -----
From: <A440A@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, August 14, 2000 7:33 AM
Subject: Re: Question regarding Well Temp. Tuning


> Richard  writes:
>
> << There is simply no doubt that most, if not all western music sounds
> delightfull
> in ET. That it can also sound delightfull in other temperament colourings
is
> simply another fact.>>
>
> Greetings,
>      I must disagree.  This statement posits that there is no value
> difference in the use of various temperaments.   Based on what I am
seeing,
> there are a growing number of pianists that, after being introduced to the
> alternatives, use words other than "delightful" to describe ET .  "Boring"
> "tedious" and "edgy" are three common adjectives I hear.
>
>  >>Those who say otherwise speak only for themselves and refer
> to no universal truth whatsoever. Indeed, such opinion speaks of a
complete
> failure to understand the basic nature of art to begin with. <<
>
>     I dunno about "universal" truths, but there is a profound difference
> between the two tuning styles mentioned. The big difference I am seeing is
> that after listening to their piano in a well tempered tuning,  the
> heretofore equally tempered musician rarely wants to return to ET.  After
5
> years of providing these tunings, I have had six customers that wanted to
> return to ET.  My clientele is now about 70 % well tempered, and I don't
> think my understanding of the "art" has been diminished because of it.
>             I would like to hear Richard's defininition on "the basic
nature
> of art", since it appears that this is something  he feels is not grasped
by
> people who have a preference in temperament.
> Regards,
> Ed Foote RPT