[pianotech] Stealth temperaments

[Ed Foote]

-----Original Message-----

From: Joseph Giandalone 
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Stealth temperaments


>> Granted that it's "fun to experiment," I need to point out that what you describe here would not be considered a legitimate (scientific) experiment in any psychology lab or course in the world. You need truly controlled conditions, randomized selection and assignment of subjects, and DOUBLE BLIND ADMINISTRATION. Controlled conditions would include having 2 identical pianos, or perhaps the same piano tuned 2 diffrerent ways. In any case, the piano teacher (in your example) would not be permitted to know which piano had which tuning (nor would the students).


Greetings,
    Even in a clinical setting, the results are still subjective, in that there is no way to produce identical listeners.  Something along the lines of Ron's micrometers on marshmallows.   With such a huge variable in place, there can be no "proven" rules.    However, I have seen temperaments tested in blind situations that strongly indicate greater attraction.  
 
   Early on, I tuned a D in a Young temperament for a Steinway artist to play Beethoven's 3rd piano concerto.  I told no one but the artist.  Following the performance, the leader of the orchestra said that the students had never been so close on their intonation as they were that night, and he  didn't remember them ever sounding so tight.   The dean of the school, a trumpet player, told me later that he had never heard a piano sound so good.  This sparked my further interest. 
   Iwadagen Pratt used my studio for practice several years ago. There were two similar Steinways in there at the time, and with nothing said, he ended up using the one tuned in a  WT as opposed to the ET one. 
  Renee Fleming mentioned to the dean that she loved coming here because the piano was so nice to practice and perform with. (I keep the stage pianos in a mild WT all the time). 


However, 


   Two world reknown pianists, one a concert specialist,the other a famed clinician, have played here on well-tempered pianos, and neither of them noticed anything different.  In the clinician's master class, the Young was next to an ET piano, and the teacher never noticed, even when the same passage was played, repeatedly, on both pianos. Makes me wonder if some pianists even listen to what they are producing or not!
    In the piano tuning trade, the golden response from the customer is "My piano has never sounded so good!".  When we hear that, we know we have a return customer, and that is the flywheel of any business.  I began to hear this a lot more when I began tuning in a non-ET style.  ( and my ET was pretty good). 
Regards,


 Ed Foote RPT
http://www.piano-tuners.org/edfoote/index.html
 
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