different 'tastini' positions on each of the courses (your analysis seems to
only focus on the first course): in short, unplayable.
<<
Dear Martyn
My analysis was about fret position 2 on courses 3 and 4, as David tayler
brought that up. Not about the first course. As it happened, this was one of
the situations where the theory was perfect and did not need a compromise.
Perfectly playable, then? But as I explained, not all fret positions on all
strings are perfect. But this is life and we live by finding practical
solutions to practical problems. I find that aspect of musical life
appealing, by the way.
My 'theory' is just to explain my practice, which is playing on
lutes/theorbo/baroque guitar in perfectly playable, different shades of
meantone. My mathematics is shaky, but enough to calculate fret positions
starting with cents deviations from ET. All this does, is get me theoretical
positions for all frets on all courses. Because frets are straight I make
compromise positions for some if not all frets. If the compromise is too
bad, I decide a fret unplayable (on a g'-lute: g# third fret on fourth
course is an obvious one, in meantone temperament with a high third fret).
The first fret needs special attention: either a double fret (theorbo is ok
for me with double first fret) or high first fret and tastini on courses 4,
5 and 6 and a non-playable first fret on the first string (tastini on first
fret first string I cannot set up: always buzzing). Or low first fret and
tastini for courses 2 and 3. Somehow the last option seems more practical,
but I always end up with a high first fret and tastini for all the bass
courses ... Easier for my hands, whatever. I have colleages who manage fine
with a low first fret and tastini on course 2 and 3, so that must be me.
So far this was theory only: setting up frets with a ruler. Utterly useless
if you don't go to the next step: check and adjust by ear and/or tuner. You
may skip the calculating and setting by ruler: just push frets 1 and 3 up, 2
and 4 down and go straight to the checking and adjusting. Apart from the
obvious compromise notes, it is to be expected that some notes will be
better than others. But that's the same with ET, because thick basses and
thin trebles react differently to the same fret positions, so course 1 and 6
already need a different fret position, especially higher up the
fingerboard. Gut bass players may end up with rather slanting frets in ET as
well. Octave strings can be a problem. All of these practical problems are
normal for us anyway, they just require practical solutions. I remember a
(metal fretted) guitar recording of a particular song where I had to record
introduction, song and coda in three different takes, as each section was in
a different position on the fingerboard. I had to tune three times! It was
an old Panormo, strung left handed and with nylgut. That alone would have
required it to be tuned thrice. ;-)
David
****************************
David van Ooijen
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.davidvanooijen.nl
****************************
MH
LGS-Europe <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I don't yet see how the second fret can be minus 7 for B and plus 7
for G but once I try it perhaps I will see.
Deviations from ET in cents.
A = 0
B = -7
G = +7
F = +14
Course 3 = A, 0 cents deviation from ET.
Fret 2 = -7 gives B = -7.
Course 4 = F, +14 cents deviation from ET.
Fret 2 = - 7 gives G= +7.
It's not perfect everywhere on the fingerboard, but here it is.
David
****************************
David van Ooijen
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.davidvanooijen.nl
****************************
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