There's a fun book on the history of temperaments: Stuart M. Isacoff 'Temperament. The Idea That Solved Music's Greatest Riddle.' (A.A.Knopf. New York 2001. My Dutch translation 'Het Octaaf' has ISBN 90-234-0168-9)
The author is very biased in favour of equal temperament, but it's more fun to read an opiniated author anyway. Nothing much technical, but lots of socio-historical background. A recomended read. David ***************************************** David van Ooijen Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Http://home.planet.nl/~d.v.ooijen/ ***************************************** ----- Original Message ----- From: "Taco Walstra" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "lutelist" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Jon Murphy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, January 30, 2004 9:26 AM Subject: Re: Fw: Equal Temperament > On Friday 30 January 2004 06:50, Jon Murphy wrote: > Dear Jon, > I wonder if this Catherine is helped by your explanation because you do not > explain anything of the background of differences between temperaments in > your long e-mail. For example meantone has pure thirds etc. If you want the > explain temperaments you need to refer to the differences of how the octave > is divided, i.e. the differences in ratio often expressed in cents. > It would be better if you give her some website links with explanations. > Perhaps you can forward her the following links which I saved on my > webbrowser a long time ago: > > http://www.microtonal.co.uk/xtra.htm > http://home.planet.nl/~d.v.ooijen/lgs/meantone.html > and the following more technical links: > http://www.b0b.com/infoedu/science.html > http://www.jimloy.com/physics/scale.htm > http://home.swipnet.se/~w-37192/eng/handbook/Tuning/history.html > > About electronic tuners you are wrong. I have two of these things, one is a > cheapo with ofcourse only equal temperament and only a=440 Hz. The other Korg > OT-12) can be calibrated to any frequency you like and also many temperaments > (valotti, meantone, etc. etc.). that's certainly not a cheap thing. This was > also written on this list by the way if I remember well. > Best > taco > > > Ladies and gentlemen,=20 > >0 > I ask your indulgence in reviewing this message that I have forwarded to = > the Lute List. The question comes from the Harp List, and my response = > has been sent. I'd like to know if I've made any gross errors (the = > object was to answer in principle, not in detail). Do remember that = > accomplished musicians on intruments that have fixed temperament may not = > have knowledge of temperament.=20 > > I solicit your comments,=20 > > > > I did see a letter a bit ago on the Lute List on electronic tuning, and = > > it made me wonder if the electronic tuner used equal temperament. Been = > > planning to repair my occilliscope and look at the freqencies, but I = > > think is a good assumption that the electronic tuner uses equal = > > temperament.=20 > > > > > > Best, Jon > > > > ----- Original Message -----=20 > > From: Catherine Hicks=20 > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2004 4:12 PM > > Subject: Equal Temperament > > > > > > > > Dear Jon,=20 > > > > Hello, my name is Catherine and I am a harp student (just beginning!) = > > of Eala Clarke's. She said that you would be willing to maybe answer = > > some of my questions? > > My music theory isn't the grandest and this may be rather confusing, I = > > hope you can get at what I'm asking. I play piano as well as harp, and I = > > was reading a book on pianos, their construction and philosophy and = > > history, and it described the methods of tuning that they used. Equal = > > temperament, they called it, saying that the intervals are not tuned to = > > the same pitches all the way up the piano because it would then end up = > > sharp. So they divide the octave up into twelve tones and tune with = > > that. Then a friend of mine asked me if my harp was tuned in equal = > > temperament, like a piano. I use an electronic tuner and just tune it to = > > that. > > So what exactly is equal temperament? Would it not be true for other = > > instruments as well? Are electronic tuners based on that system? > > > > Thank you very much! > > > > > > Catherine Hicks > > ~ In Corde Mariae > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ================================================================ > Deze e-mail is door E-mail VirusScanner van Planet Internet gecontroleerd op virussen. > Op http://www.planet.nl/evs staat een verwijzing naar de actuele lijst waar op wordt gecontroleerd. > >
