1/5 Comma Meantone

[SteveS]

I'm thinking about tuning the 'tina in my avatar (brass reeds, lovely for song accompaniment) to 1/5 comma.

 

Since I sing in C, G, F and relative minors, I guess centering on C would be best.

Edited June 7, 2016 by SteveS

[Geoff Wooff]

 

 

 

Note deviations from Equal Temperament with A as Zero ( for 1/5th Comma Mezantone).

 

C= +6 , C# = -8 , D = +2 , D# = -12 , Eb = +12 , E = -2 , F= +8 , F# = -6 , G= +4 , G#= -10 , Ab= +14, A= 0, Bb= +10, B= -6.

 

With D as Zero; add +2 to each of the above.

 

For C as Zero add +6 to each of the above. Etc. Etc.

 

Geoff

 

For D=0, shouldn't it be subtract 2 from above

For C=0, subtract 6 from the above.

 

Also are these pitch variations from ET expressed in cents?

 

 

(Ed. I see I posted this after Geoff had edited his post)

 

Indeed I also realised my mistake Steve but thanks for correcting me anyway.

[Geoff Wooff]

I'm thinking about tuning the 'tina in my avatar (brass reeds, lovely for singing to) to 1/5 comma.

 

Since I sing in C, G, F and relative minors, I guess centering on C would be best.

 

Indeed it will , but if I was singing and could dedicate a concertina for accompaniment I would consider 1/4 Comma. Adrian Brown uses this on some of his Anglos and Danny Spooner sings to a 1/4 Comma EC. I would tune my EC's to 1/4 Comma but I use the 1/5 as a reasonable compromise between sweeter Maj.thirds and trouble free playing with other people who are invariably in ET

[SteveS]

 

I'm thinking about tuning the 'tina in my avatar (brass reeds, lovely for singing to) to 1/5 comma.

 

Since I sing in C, G, F and relative minors, I guess centering on C would be best.

 

Indeed it will , but if I was singing and could dedicate a concertina for accompaniment I would consider 1/4 Comma. Adrian Brown uses this on some of his Anglos and Danny Spooner sings to a 1/4 Comma EC. I would tune my EC's to 1/4 Comma but I use the 1/5 as a reasonable compromise between sweeter Maj.thirds and trouble free playing with other people who are invariably in ET

 

Thanks Geoff - 1/4 comma was something I'd also considered.

I need to do more research I guess...

[DaveM]

Geoff,

What makes a key "usable" on EC, in meantone?

 

(btw, I think you balked at my table of "number of fifths away from reference" thinking that they were cents deviation; I've since amended the post).

[Geoff Wooff]

Geoff,

What makes a key "usable" on EC, in meantone?

 

(btw, I think you balked at my table of "number of fifths away from reference" thinking that they were cents deviation; I've since amended the post).

Opps yes Dave,

I got the wrong gist of your post there alright... sorry.

 

The problem with Meantone systems is that by adjusting note pitches to provide sweeter intervals in certain Keys , some other Keys have to suffer. In the case of an EC, with its seperate buttons for Ab and G#, D# and Eb the well tuned Keys can be extended by one in each direction... one flater key and one sharper.

 

Whilst one can make a good major scale as far flat as the key of Ab and as sharp as the key of B, when one wants to make a simple accompaniment in those keys and need to employ chords of Db and F# for the purpose the results start to become quite sour. This limits the usable Keys in Meantone on the EC to Eb,Bb,F,C,G,D,A and E majors and their relatives.

 

With out the enharmonic notes, ie by choosing to tune either an Eb or a D#, an Ab or a G# as one might need to do on an Anglo or Duet, the range of usefull keys would be reduced by one in each direction.

 

Of course if one is utilising chords further away from the Key note of a tune or modulations occur then further limits on usefull Keys will be imposed.

Edited June 7, 2016 by Geoff Wooff