Advice Needed On Meantone Tuning

[catswhiskers]

Hi all - hope someone can advise me. I am restoring a 20 key CG Lachenal Anglo circa 1885 and have got to the stage of tuning. The pitch seems to be somewhere around A447 and as far as I can tell the tuning is closer to quarter comma meantone than anything else.

So rather than attempting retune the whole thing to ET A440, I have decided to use what seems to be the original tuning. Since I want to use it mainly to accompany myself singing and to practice and improve my playing skills this seems like a good choice.

So far I have tuned the G row using G as the root note and it sounds very sweet to my ears. My question is, should I use C as the root note when I tune the C row, or would it be better to stick with G for the whole instrument, so that there is no variation in pitch when playing across the rows?

If anyone has any experience of doing this or understands the theory well enough to explain it to a poor amateur folk singer who does everything by ear, I would be very grateful to hear you words of wisdom.

[Dana Johnson]

I don't know how far off the F natural would be in quarter comma, but with nothing to compare it to, I doubt if it would sound too bad sticking with G. On the other hand switching roots for the different rows would put the G's A's D's and E's out of tune with each other. Doesn't seem like a good idea unless you plan to play strictly along the rows. If you do the whole thing based on G, it should still sound good for the practical keys for a 20 button C/G.

[Geoff Wooff]

If you will be combining the two rows when playing then it is important to continue the same 'centre' point. Chords which use both rows, like G7, or songs which shift keys will sound better if they all agree. On a 20 key Anglo there are not enough key possibilities to get you into trouble. Your C row will be just as sweetly tuned because the relativity of the intervals will be the same .

 

I am currently retuning an English , down from about A453 , using D as my zero note in 1/5th Comma because this way I minimise most of the possible clashes with other instruments when playing in session keys (also taking into account that not all the other instruments are tuned in ET)... this makes the instrument 2 cents flater overall in comparison to ET.

[catswhiskers]

Thanks Dana and Geoff for your helpful advice. You have given me the confidence to go ahead with using G as the root for both keys. I have now completed tuning the bottom C row and it sounds really nice with lovely sweet chords. Just the top C row to go. Looking forward to improving my very modest playing. If I ever get good enough to play with others I guess I'll have to retune to 440 - or better still, get another box!

[JimLucas]

If I ever get good enough to play with others I guess I'll have to retune to 440 - or better still, get another box!

 

Better still, yes.