The Acme A1 Temperament

[Don Mannino]

I agree with Ed - string, wind, or full orchestra, the intervals tend 
towards pure intervals.  I call it a kind of "floating" temperament, 
as when the ensemble changes key, the intervals adjust to the new 
key.  I understand that wind instruments are built with a kind of 
tempering build in, but the players work the reed / embouchure to 
adjust the pitch as they play.

Heck, the only reason we have temperaments in the first place is 
because we can't tune the piano as it is being played like other 
instruments do.  Pianists are stuck with what the tuner puts there.

I recall many rehearsals in college when I was accompanying other 
instruments, and a big part of the process was their having to learn 
to adjust pitches to fit with the piano.

Find a good recording of Beethoven's 9th symphony, and play with your 
tuning machine during the slow movement.  It can be very interesting.

Don Mannino

At 05:09 PM 6/30/2007, you wrote:
>Bernard writes:
>
><< every
>
>string quartet plays quasi ET (slightly narrow fifths, probably quasi
>
>P12) to avoid the pythagorean third of the cello C and the violin  >>
>
>I disagree.  I have sat in many a performance, and rehearsal, with my SAT in
>my lap.  Intonation in a good string quartet is anything but 
>ET,  and in fact,
>I have had a number of string players mention how everything changes when
>they have to play with a piano.  There are no pure thirds in an ET 
>piano, but you
>will hear a lot of them in a good quartet.
>     Horn players know that they must play the E differently, depending on
>what key they are in.  This doesn't indicate ET is in use in the orchestra...
>
>Regards,
>
>Ed Foote RPT
>http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
>www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
>  <BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> See what's free at
>http://www.aol.com.</HTML>