What temperament do you tune your piano to and why?....

[genaa]

Following on from a question I raised in the 'professional forum' thread, I thought it might be worth asking people what temperaments they have their instruments tuned to, and if different from 'Equal Temperament', which and why?

What do people who experiment with different tunings like about each and do folks have any recommendations for experimentation (subject to a willing tech/tuner to assist of course!!)

Welcome your thoughts!

[Barrie Heaton]

Equal only been asked to do meantone once in 30 years and that was on a Harpsichord.

Its more common in the US as more tuners over there use ETAs one tuner I know never tunes in ET he tunes in Equal Beating Victorian Temperament

Barrie

[genaa]

I have heard good things about EBVT - again mainly from the pianoworld american forums and am certainly curious to see what, if any, difference it imparts.

Electronic tuning devices do seem to be far more common in the US don't they.

[Barrie Heaton]

I have heard good things about EBVT - again mainly from the pianoworld american forums and am certainly curious to see what, if any, difference it imparts.

Electronic tuning devices do seem to be far more common in the US don't they.

Yes they do its all to do with distant learning ETD are good at setting odd scales like EBVT it was only as late as 1930 when all the church organs in the UK changed over to ET

Take a look at http://billbremmer.com/articles

Barrie,

[mdw]

Like Barrie I was taught to do it at college and in the early years was asked twice. Its now 20plus years since ive done it and I cant even remember which scale it was. I guess I could if I got the books out again but unless you have a particular old piano or harpsichord you want it done to there seems to be no call for it.
I assume these are some of the bits they now miss out on the shorter training courses. Which if you are not going to use them in 20 years could a sensible thing to cut.

[Gill the Piano]

Last year I was asked to tune a piano with all the intervals of the scale perfect - apart from the Wolf, obviously. The client writes weird modern music .
I forgave her because she makes good tea and has a nice cat.

[Brumtuner]

'nice cat' = oxymoron.

[Barrie Heaton]

'nice cat' = oxymoron.

Na nice cat = temp piano string

Barrie,

[Gill the Piano]

No; 'fun run'; THAT'S an oxymoron...

[genaa]

For those with some experience of temperaments such as EBVT, what would you describe as being the differences when listening compared to say a more standard ET?

Is it noticeably different in peoples' experience?

[D.J.Smith]

On the subject of different temperaments, I have a set of tuning forks which are of equal temperament [more or less!] but based on A426.6.
Were pianos ever tuned this low, or are they intended for some other instrument?

[Barrie Heaton]

On the subject of different temperaments, I have a set of tuning forks which are of equal temperament [more or less!] but based on A426.6.
Were pianos ever tuned this low, or are they intended for some other instrument?

see history of pitch

Barrie

[Brumtuner]

"What temperament do you tune your piano to and why?"




I don't have a piano because I can't play one.

I just tune, repair and renovate the damn things.

[sussexpianos]

Been asked to do velotti, or what ever its spelling, popular with early music. Had to buy a digital tuner! my god I hate those things.