Non-ETs; more organic than ET?

Tvak@aol.com Tvak@aol.com
Fri, 2 Apr 2004 22:05:21 EST


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In a message dated 4/2/04 6:16:44 PM, A440A@aol.com writes:


> mild WT's stay "in tune" longer, and the customers of
> mine that use them agree.=A0 These temperaments are already somewhat=20
> "organic",
> as opposed to the scientific and rigid ET.=A0
>=20

"Organic?"   In what manner could one possibly perceive one temperament as=20
more "organic" than another?   You lost me here!   Unless you're referring t=
o=20
what's getting knee deep in this discussion!    (heheheh...)

Referring to ET as rigid and scientific suggests to me the following:   When=
=20
you tune ET there are a multitude of tests and reference notes you can use t=
o=20
ascertain whether you have deviated from the ideal placement of each note. =20=
=20
(Very scientific...)   With non-ETs there are fewer ways to check your resul=
ts.=20
  If I'm wrong about this, correct me, but perhaps one of the reasons you=20
feel ET is rigid and scientific is the fact that you can double check every=20=
note=20
up and down the keyboard and any note that is not rigidly where it ought to=20=
be=20
sticks out in the checks.   The more "organic" approach might be "sounds=20
good, must be good/ no way to check it, so...there it is".  =20

My final check of my bass octaves, after having tuned them to my ear and=20
checking them with a 3/6 or 3/10 to ascertain that they are where they shoul=
d be,=20
is to listen to descending M3rds, then M10ths, and finally m7ths.   This oft=
en=20
brings to my attention an anomaly, whereby I realize that I need to make an=20
adjustment.   Of course, these descending parallel intervals only work in ET=
.  =20
How do you to check your bass octaves?  =20

I'm sure that there must be ways to check not only your temperament, but you=
r=20
octaves with various non-ETs, but if there are, would someone share them wit=
h=20
me?   Because, frankly I like the sound of a mild non-ET but without more=20
tools to check myself along the way, I wouldn't attempt it aurally.   (I've=20=
tried=20
various temperaments with my ETDs.)

BTW, as far as the original question goes, I agree that ET tunings are more=20
likely to sound in tune longer than their non-ET counterparts.   But that's=20
assuming that the pianist is playing in keys other than C and G all the time=
.=20

Tom Sivak
Chicago

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