learning temperaments (ws EBVT-)

John M. Formsma jformsma@dixie-net.com
Sat, 28 Apr 2001 11:25:55 -0500


Ed,

<<This brings up a worthwhile point. Time vs. Money, or, "How am I supposed
to learn all these different temperaments?"  You don't HAVE to devote a lot
of time to hear the various temperaments.
   Jorgensen's 'Tuning" coupled with the progammable tuning machine has
dramatically lowered the cost of temperament exploration.  A working tech
can
now easily produce the tunings found in the piano's historical record
without
the huge investment of time previously required.>>

Yeah, yeah...I hear you. A ETD certainly aids in this process. I guess I am
a little wary of getting used to the machine because when I have used one
for a while, my mind begins to get lazy. :-) I also find that it sometimes
takes longer getting those little lights to stop than it does just to get in
there and tune the thing aurally. If I do upgrade from the SAT II, the
Pocket RCT is very attractive, huh?

<<So,  how to use a SATII?  Simply use an existing tuning for a given
piano and use the pitch change calculator for the note's alteration.  If the
C's need to be sharpened from ET by 6 cents, just put that +6 in (via the
calculator) and tune all the C's, zero that offset, and put in the next
offset and tune all of those notes.  It is a little less laborious than
tuning chromatically and changing up or down for each note, though that is
another approach.>>

I remember your saying this before, and this would work.

BTW, the piano I mentioned the other day...Kawai KG-5 one pass pitch
lower/tuning with EBVT.  I received an email this morning from the organist.
Her words were, "I liked the tuning." I had previously tuned that piano with
the SAT (ET) because the falseness (loose bridge pins) in the treble made
aural tuning difficult. After tapping bridge pins and some light seating
this time, the EBVT really made this piano sing. Sounded very improved. I
think I have a convert! :-)

John Formsma
Blue Mountain, MS

mailto:jformsma@dixie-net.com



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