The Seventh Dragon: The Riddle of Equal TemperamentA veteran piano tuner presents a literary, minimally technical view of the quixotic tuning systems used on keyboard instruments for hundreds of years. The work explains temperament strategies accessibly and reflects on the technical process of piano tuning in both practical and philosophical terms. When Anita Sullivan started a second career as a piano tuner 25 years ago, she was immediately puzzled by the piano's complicated tuning system. Surprised to learn that her new profession was not only technically complex, but in fact required artistic judgements she set herself to describing the tuning system in a way that would make sense to ordinary listeners, rather than piano technicians alone. Her exceptional book was the result, now updated for a new generation of readers [Publisher description]. |
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actually alternate temperaments beatless beats begin black note C-sharp called centuries chords circle of fifths combination composers compromise cycles per second diatonic scale dissonance distort Douglas Leedy equal temperament equally-tempered scale exact expressively inflected fifths and fourths four frequencies happens harmony harpsichord Harry Partch hear human ear idea imperfection individual notes inexact instrument builders invisible keyboard instruments keyboard temperament keyboard tuning systems kind listening major third mathematical means meantone Meantone temperament melodies motion music theory musical acoustics musical intervals musical tone natural non-scalar octave perfect fifth perhaps physical piano key piano keyboard Piano Technicians piano tuner pitch play pure consonant intervals pure intervals purity Pythagoras Pythagorean tuning semitones set a temperament Seventh Dragon small whole numbers small-whole-number ratios sotto voce sound stop superparticular ratio tempered intervals tension thing three strings tune a piano tuning pins turn twelve tones unison vibrations Western music white key Zuner's Monologue