temperaments

[Elwood Doss, Jr.]

Hey Ron,
If you guys don't quit talking about these historical equal temperaments,
I'm going to break down and try them.  I'm an aural tuner--and only
aural--please don't hold that against me--and I was wondering if you have
access to a system of tuning Broadwood's Best or the EBVT, or the KV, for
that matter for us aural tuners.  I don't like to think too much so it would
be helpful if the tuning system gave the various beat rates for the tuning
intervals.  Gee, you all might make me a believer!
Joy,
Elwood

Elwood Doss, Jr., MME, RPT
Piano Technician/Technical Director
Department of Music
106 Fine Arts Building
University of Tennessee at Martin,
Martin, Tennessee 38238
731/587-1852

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron Koval" <drwoodwind@hotmail.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, April 10, 2004 5:29 PM
Subject: temperaments


> Thanks for continuing the discussion, ric M.  I think I see where this is
> going again, so let me answer this:
>
> You asked what methods, I have the words of James Broadwood himself how
> to tune ET in 1811.
> <snip>
>
> I'm going to start over.  Forget anyone saying anything about any
historical
> temperaments.
>
>
> A growing body of technicians have been discovering the joys and
musicality
> of tuning an earlier version of equal temperament.  This temperament,
known
> as Broadwood's best, has been used successfully in homes, in recording
> studios, and on the stage around the world.  With a maximum offset from
the
> "sterile, clinical" modern equal temperament of only 5/100ths of a half
> step, all keys are playable, while retaining the preferences of musical
> development and harmony valued by western music.  Others of us have been
> instrumental in developing new versions of this more musical equal
> temperament for everyday use.  Consider the Equal Beating Victorian, the
> Coleman 11 and the Koval Variable temperaments as those developed using
both
> the best of the aural tradition and modern spreadsheet technology.  By
> removing the biases introduced in the middle of the 20th century by the
> development of tuning technology, we've rediscovered the extra connection
to
> the music that these tunings can bring.
>
> >From Mr. Broadwood himself:
>
> Farey's critique piqued James Broadwood's interest and he responded---
>
> To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine
> SIR,
> If Mr. Farey will peruse again the article on Tuning, in your Magazine of
> September, he cannot but perceive my object to be, not to advocate the
> correctness of any system of temperament, but to point out  "the best
> practical method of tuning keyed stringed instruments."  I gave
instructions
> to produce the interval of a proper fifth in the temperament called the
> equal temperament, from its being in most general use, and because of the
> various systems, it has been pronounced the
> best deserving that appellation, by Haydn, Mozart, and other masters of
> harmony.
> <snip>
>
> The modern twist to these tunings has been the study of the beat ratios
> between the intervals in the early equal temperaments.  In fact the ratio
> between the M3 and the m3 in a triad is the only thing equal in a
"sterile"
> modern temperament.  By manipulating this ratio to get a whole number
ratio,
> extra vibrance and resonance is added to the tuning.  Surprisingly enough,
> it was the development of the modern tuning machines that allows easy
> experimentation with more responsive tunings.
>
> Ron Koval
>
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