tuning HT's by ear

[Charles Neuman]

Ed Foote wrote:
> The slight deviations that you will encounter because you can't use
> sequential, chromatic steps to measure will be of little importance in
> a WT if your octaves are pleasing to the ear.  I think it was L.
> Armstrong who said, "If it sounds good, it IS good".
>  Trust your ears, ET has a woeful habit of making us dependant on the
> intellectual testing via intervals as opposed to the purely sensual
> judgement of what the instrument sounds like!  If an octave seems to
> be shakey, measure it, move it around, and listen to it again.

I just did that and it worked great! Not only was it my most pleasurable
tuning experience (I felt so free without the ETD), the tuning came out
great. I used the Kirnberger WT in C-Major.

Hint for all you HT addicts: Play the first line of Chopin's G minor
Ballade in a temperament such that the fourths are all pure. Mmmmm, it's
yummy. When you consider what's about to happen in the next several pages,
a nice calm start with pure intervals adds to the drama.

Wow.

Charles Neuman