Music Trade Review

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PIANO FACTORY and
PIANO SERVICING
DR. W M . BRAID WHITE
Technical Editor
More Thoughts on
TUNERS, TUNING
and the FUTURE
ing in equal temperament. So many or-
chestral players seem not to care for any
scale, and we hear so much out-of-tuneness."
WHY ARTISTIC TUNING IS DYING OUT
DR. WM. BRAID WHITE
AST month I undertook to say some-
thing about the science of tuning and
also about the future of tuning as an art.
My words were prompted by two very
interesting letters which I had received from
working tuners, one of whom was interested
in a technical explanation while the other
found himself moved to utter an acute opinion
upon the future of the tuning art. I have
now been privileged to receive a written com-
mentary upon this article from Dr. Dayton
C. Miller, of the Case School of Applied Sci-
ence at Cleveland, who, as everyone knows,
is one of the most distinguished scientific men
of his age and by all odds the greatest living
authority upon the science of musical sounds.
His letter is so interesting that it must form
the text of my remarks for this month.
I had said that the necessity for an artificial
division of the octave into twelve parts ac-
cording to a constant ratio of increment from
tone to tone is unfortunate, seeing that it de-
prives us of the soothing and delightful con-
cords which we hear when intervals are
sounded in their pure relations. Dr. Miller
comments upon this in the following words:
"You have very clearly set forth the neces-
sity for the tempered scale, and what it is.
When I looked for something to comment on,
I could find only one word—the word 'un-
fortunately,' in reference to the difference be-
tween pure intonation and equal temperament.
I was going to say that perhaps this is
'fortunate.' In experimenting with our forks
tuned in pure intonations, the chords are, as
you say, very soothing and sweet, but they
soon pall on the ear, and I am glad to hear
again the intervals in equal temperament.
But, on second thought, I conclude you are
right in speaking of it as 'unfortunate.' It
seems to be difficult to secure accurate tun-
L
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
I reproduce this part of Dr. Miller's letter
because it exposes a set of facts well worth
our attention. I think that most experienced
artist tuners will agree with Dr. Miller in
preferring tempered to just intervals and
chords. The latter are extremely beautiful
but it is undoubtedly true that they lack the
bite and snap which the tempered intonation
imparts. On a matter of this kind opinions,
of course, are likely to differ, but it is prob-
able that most persons have not had the op-
portunity to hear music played in just intona-
tion and so cannot form opinions based upon
definite experience. This is an unfortunate
state of affairs. As Dr. Miller justly ob-
serves, it is difficult to secure accurate tuning
in equal temperament. This difficulty exists
simply and solely because it has never been
the business of educational authority to impart
to the inhabitants of the land any knowledge
whatever about tone, tone relations or the
musical scale. Naturally, then, the profession-
al tuner of those musical instruments, like
the pianoforte and the organ, which must be
tuned, if at all, by an expert, have never
been under a definite necessity always to do
their best work. In fact, artistic-minded
tuners have usually had only the conscious-
ness of work well done to sustain them in
their endeavors, since the great majority of
those who have employed their services have
been quite incapable of rendering any just
opinion upon their accuracy or skill.
It is quite correct to say that to tune ac-
curately in equal temperament is difficult.
Now the entire structure of musical branches,
from the making of pianofortes to the com-
position of symphonic works for the grand
orchestra, is based upon the equal tempera-
ment. For this furnishes the practical frame-
work within which most musical instruments
must be designed and musical compositions
enclosed. I have often in the past taken oc-
casion to say that if I had my way the skill
and the knowledge of musical scientists should
be devoted to the task of constructing a new
musical aesthetic based upon instruments
capable of giving just intonation without at
REVIEW,
March, 1932
the same time losing their practicability.
Nevertheless, it is not very likely that any
such state of affairs will soon be brought
about. The equal temperament is not only
extremely convenient, but now deeply rooted
in the ideas of the musical world, so that its
extirpation would be a matter of the utmost
difficulty, even supposing, what is not likely,
that all should agree upon the need or the
desirability of such a process. What there-
fore we have to think about in a practical
way is how we may preserve the art of tun-
ing in equal temperament, and the wonderful
skill that the best of the tuners of the last
generation seemed to be able always to dis-
pose.
IF TUNING GOES, MUSIC GOES
',
For if we do not preserve the art, the pros-
pect of music must be at the best doubtful.
It will be impossible to maintain properly the
performance of music unless we at the same
time can preserve the necessary musical
technology. It is, of course, conceivable that
some mechanism for effecting and maintaining
the relative frequency values of the tonal ele-
ments in musical instruments may some day be
perfected. But this is not likely to happen
soon, and even so, the difficulty would only
be pushed a step backward. For the art of
tuning, as an effective part of the structure
of music, rests in the end upon public ap-
preciation. The tones which make up the
scale of music must in musical instruments
Estate
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