Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum What do you call a poor CM3 Temperment?

Yes, this is an offshoot from the 4ths and 5ths Topic.

A name has been given to a poor 4th and 5th temperment: Reverse Well (although I don't know why a Well Temperment isn't also considered a poor 4th and 5th temperment...)

But what would you call a poor CM3 temperment, one where the chromatic M3s are evenly progressive, but the M6s are not and the 4ths and 5ths are unevenly tempered? I think of this as a Marpurg error for lack of anything other name. It is probably not a correct use of the term at all.

An unfinished equal temperament?

In the ever-evolving lexicon of piano tech-speak, it is hard to find labels or names for all of the variations. Temperament is either "equal" or it isn't.

Hmmmm. This actually something I see fairly regularly...but there is no name universally applied. As one who helps with PTG testing; what you describe is the result of someone trying to use a 3rds-ladder approach to tuning a temperament, and failing to connect the two ladders.

In other words; Each ladder is composed of very nice gradually increasing Major 3rds. There are two of them, F/A/C#/F and F#/A#/D/F#, but they are disconnected and any interval trying to reach between the two ladders will howl like a wolf!

You can't build the two ladders without a solid connection between them. You have to listen, and use, larger intervals to make sure they are related to each other.

If you want to hear what that non-related set of two beautiful 3rds-ladders that totally sound terrible when checked with 4ths, 5ths, or triad chords sounds like...just program your machine to the PTG Exam and put a 'Detune' onto the piano. This is EXACTLY what the PTG Exam puts onto the piano before an examinee enters the room. Sweet sweet thirds gradually ascending and everything else sounds terrible. You can hear the same effect by tuning a piano with an equal temperament, and then adding four cents to each note of one ladder, like 4+cents on F/A/C#/F, while leaving the other ladder untouched. 'Bleagh'. As Snoopy would say!

The name of your not-temperament is;
PTG Exam Detuning (or UUU on some programs, Untuning!)

Sadly; many people trying to build a temperament with only 3rds-ladders will also create such an untuning when trying to correct the detuned piano. Somewhere in the mix will be an inverted 4th or 5th (or both on the same note, A# or D are likely places to find that) and the two ladders of thirds, however lovely and evenly increasing, will be disconnected and horrible when you try to play MUSIC on them.

Does that help? I think a fair name would be 'Untuning!'

Untuning myself,
I sometimes am,

Gosh ! my quiet tuning world collapsed !

I thought that once I had a nice ladder of Thirds everything else was "under control".

Could be called " broken rung ladder of 3ds"

There is another common version where the M3 progress nicely, but the octave is bad, this one is really common

"ladder of 3ds with unbalanced legs"

I'd call it anything but "Late for Supper".

Apparently a name has now been given to a flat treble and sharp bass: Equal Temperament. If this is true, then what shall we name a sharp treble and flat bass? _____________Temperament (fill in the blank).

Jeff, I'm trying to understand this. Where do G/B/D# and G#/C/E fit in? Are there not four ladders altogether? Or do you view G/B/D# as part of the first ladder, and G#/C/E as part of the second? In that case, might one speak of two whole-tone scales (one on F, one on F#) rather than two ladders of M3s?

Hmm, so this sort of error HAS been noticed. "Broken Ladder" makes me think of "Broken Arrow", the term for a nuclear weapon mishap. Like some sort of self inflicted disaster. I think we are getting close to a name. Work in a good pun or adjective or alliteration and we may have it!

Reverse Equal?

Twisted Concertina Temperament.

Adopted!

To the OP: I'd suggest "Animal Farm Temperament".

Oh, wow, do I like that. I don't think I've gotten to the bottom layers of hidden meanings for this one yet. Ooooooo.... "Honey, where's my box of old High School paperbacks?"

It takes a lot of backtracking to make it more equal.

Backtracking is not necessary at all. All equal temperments are equal. Some are just more equal than others!

Reverse (Or)Well?

<<All equal temperments are equal. Some are just more equal than others!-Jeff D.>>

Ho hohohohoho! Nailed it there, boss. Nice one!

Re; 4-ladders?
Yes, Mark, there are more ladders in there, without a rung between them. I just took the first two, as I always think in terms of the 4/5th between F3-F4 at A#3/Bb3 and the cacaphonous noise and wang!-wang!wang! of the beating 4th/5th. It's my first indication that the nice sounding thirds just aren't related. There is no rung connecting 'em. Or maybe...we could just call it the Emperor's Temperament; if you can't hear the beauty, you aren't worthy enough to appreciate it!

Royally,
I remain,
Yr. humble and ob't svt.,

Like I said, deeper and deeper layers.

Then the problem isn't the ladders, it's the scaffolding between them. Careless Painter's Temperment?