temperaments - choosing ? stretched ? not stretched ?

[Maggie Jusiel]

Hi Philippe,

  I'd like to share some of my experiences with this topic, but would
first like to point out that I'm still in the learning process.  ;)

  I was learning aurally first, but didn't get lots of the details I
needed and didn't have good pianos to practice on.  I never got to the
point where I trusted myself, so I use TuneLab.  However, if I set a
temperament with TuneLab, then tune the rest of the piano to that, I get
a very nice tuning with an interesting characteristic...  I will tune
the upper octaves to what I hear as being "pure" with no beats, but will
end up with a stretch that is anywhere from 10 cents to 40 cents
stretched (according to TuneLab).  I believe this to be my ear hearing
more of the harmonics instead of the fundamental, and lining those up.
The end result is always satisfying, so I go with it.  The variation
from piano to piano points out that each piano is different, and putting
a "stretch" on it should line up harmonics, not just must make the top
end sharp.  Too much of a stretch is just as bad as not enough.  Even
two pianos of the same model can end up different depending on how they
were taken care of over the years.

  I'm not sure if others have this same experience.  I do know that I had
my hearing tested and had a deficit in the lower registers, but was off
the charts in what I could hear in the higher registers.  I have a
feeling most tuners could hear what I am hearing, though.

  Last thing...  I've found that many tuners start out setting equal
temperament, but end up with a variation of a mean-tone temperament,
which works just fine.

  ...hope this was helpful...  :D

-mags


Maggie Jusiel
Piano Tuner
Winds & Strings Teacher
PO Box 1234
Athens, WV  24712-1234
(304)952-8615
<mags@magsmusic.net>
<http://www.magsmusic.net>



> Hi all,
>
> I'm currently studying temperaments, and I wonder if a tuner always use a
> stretched temperament,
> especially since this doesn't seems quite compatible with the use of
> electronic tuning devices.
> (for the not aural tuners...)
>
> This question, especially since I've a CD with reference tones for a
> stretched temperament, which
> seems quite strange since a stretched temperament should depend on the
> kind of piano, shouldn't
> they ? So what ?
>
> subsidiary question : as a tuner, do you prefer to use equal temperament ?
> or do you prefer to use
> another one ? (which one) ... Or do your clients often have their specific
> requests ? (in this case
> what are you commonly asked ?)
>
> Philippe Errembault





Maggie Jusiel
Piano Tuner
Winds & Strings Teacher
PO Box 1234
Athens, WV  24712-1234
(304)952-8615
<mags@magsmusic.net>
<http://www.magsmusic.net>


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