Stewart, If you gather up all your emails and put them in a book, you'll have a textbook for a complete course of music theory! And a very well explained one at that.
>Dear Ed, > >Seeing as you ask, I use an old Korg MT-1200 set to Vallotti. As I >understand it, Vallotti is the same as sixth comma meantone as far >as the white notes (on the piano) are concerned, so the two >temperaments amount to the same thing. > >When I have tuned with the box (by listening to the note, not using >the needle), I play a few chords to make sure everything sounds OK. >I always include these two chords in my check: > >_c___d__ >_e___d__ >_f___f__ >_e___f__ >_c___f__ >_____d__ > >What you say about adding or subtracting two cents from equal >temperament is quite true. I would add that you add or subtract more >and more cents, the further you go round the circle of fifths: > >Gb Db Ab Eb Bb F C G D A E B F# C# G# > >So, if you tune A to 440, you add or subtract the following cents >for sixth comma meantone: > >Gb(+18) Db(+16) Ab(+14) Eb(+12) Bb(+10) F(+8) C(+6) G(+4) >D(+2) A E(-2) B(-4) F#(-6) C#(-8) G#(-10) etc. > >For anyone unfamiliar with the circle of fifths, it is the order you >add sharps or flats to the key signature to make scales: > >C - no sharps or flats >G - one sharp (F#) >D - two sharps (F#, C#) >A - three sharps (F#, C#, G#) etc. > >or going the other way > >F - one flat (Bb) >Bb - two flats (Bb, Eb) >Eb - three flats (Bb, Eb, Ab), etc. > >When you go round the circle of fifths with equal temperament, you >get back to where you start, because F# is the same as Gb, C# is the >same as Db, etc. This is why you can talk about "going round the >clock", because there are only twelve different notes. With meantone >temperaments, these pairs of notes are nowhere near the same - F# is >24 cents lower than Gb - about a quarter of a semitone, so the ends >of the circle never meet up. > >Best wishes, > >Stewart. > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Ed Durbrow" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "lute list" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Friday, July 23, 2004 12:03 PM >Subject: Re: Sixth Comma Meantone > > >> >Does anyone know whether there is an electronic tuner that can be >set = >> >for the various meantone tunings, or at least one that will show >exactly = >> >at how many vibrations per second a given string is resonating? >> >> The Peterson V-SAM allows you to save user definable temperament. >> They claim an accuracy of one one-thousandth of a Cent. >> >> >If so, is anyone = >> >mathematician enough to tell me by how much to vary the pitch of >A on = >> >the tuner for each string? >> >... >> >After all these questions, it probably would have been easier >just to = >> >ask Stewart how he goes about tuning the strings to a precise >number of = >> >vibrations per second. >> >> I'd be interested to know that too, but I'll throw in my 2 yen. >Bear >> in mind that's worth less than 2 cents (pun?). >> >> For 6th comma meantone (I assume you've set your frets), tune your >> 1st and 6th courses, then just try to tune the 5th string 2 cents >> sharp; the 4th 4 c sharp; the 2nd 2 c flat the 3rd 4 c flat. In my >> experience, since the pitch of a lute drops over time, and pegs >and >> strings are not perfect, it is very difficult to get it spot on, >but >> that is what I am for. I also have a tastini glued at the first >fret >> on the fourth string for F sharp. >> cheers, >> -- >> Ed Durbrow -- Ed Durbrow Saitama, Japan http://www9.plala.or.jp/edurbrow/
