Friday, July 10, 2009

Blog Forecast

Faithful readers: the blog forecast for the upcoming week is intermittent blogging with a 20% chance of complete lack of posts due to the fact that I will be at the Early Music Camp. I may have access to computers while at Early Music Camp, but whether I will have any time is debatable. I will let you know the week after next how it all went if I am completely unable to post a quick note now and then.

Hardingfele came with me to the hardcore Mideastern group practice Tuesday night, since she was so curious about "quarter tones." Then Wednesday night after the Outdoor Concerts, Rich, Kathbert, and I were talking about tuning and what the difference is between "well-tempered" and "even-tempered." And then of course there is mean-tone tuning, which is even older than the well-tempered tuning. I have never really cared for even temperament myself, which is a compromise and seems so artificial, just dividing the octave into twelve even increments like that. What's the point, so that you can play in F# minor and not have it sound awful? But then D minor and E minor sound just the same. In well-tempered tuning, they each have their own distinctive sound. Anyway, I will be able to answer more questions about tuning after Early Music Camp, where I am taking a class on tuning. Everything you have ever wanted to know about mean tone temperament vs. well-tempered vs. even-tempered, I'll be able to tell you.

Famous Hat

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