College and University Technicians Questionnaire
Use of Unequal Temperaments in Academia Survey Results
Following are the results from the questionnaire in last spring's newsletter. I would like to thank everyone who participated. There were a total of forty two responses.
1. How many concerts and recitals do you tune for per year on average?
Highest =500, Lowest =4, Average =132.3
2. Do you have the following instruments used in performances? Please indicate how many for each:
Modern concert grands (9' or larger) Highest = 10, Lowest = 0, Average = 3.2
Harpsichords Highest = 5, Lowest = 0, Average = 1.7
Clavichords Highest = 2, Lowest = 0, Average = .175 (five respondents had one or more)
Modern recital sized grands (app. 7') Highest = 25, Lowest = 0, Average = 2.8
Forte pianos Highest = 2, Lowest = 0, Average = .26 (nine respondents had one or more)
3a. Do you or your assistants use unequal temperaments on studio, classroom, or practice room instruments?
Always = 1 , Often = 8, Sometimes = 18, Never = 17
Which unequal temperaments?
Thomas Young = 8, Meantone = 6, Werkmeister III = 5, Valotti = 5, Werkmeister = 3, Kirnberger III = 3, Marpug I = 2, Holy Grail Well = 2, Modern Meantone = 2, 1 each for the following: Neihardt, Young II, Pythagorean, Well, Strong Victorian, Strong Well, Kirnberger, Kirnberger II, Common Model Well, Aaron-Neidhardt Well, Ben Johnston, True Victorian, 1/7 Syntonic Comma, 1/6 Comma Meantone, 1/4 Comma Meantone, Bendler-Young, Modified Equal-Well, Fogliano Meantone, Salinas Well, Prinz-Neidhardt, Broadwood Usual, Hawkes Modified Meantone.
In addition to these temperaments, two technicians mentioned special temperaments given to them by modern composers for the performance of their compositions, and one mentioned "By Request".
3b. Do you or your assistants tune keyboard instruments using unequal temperaments for the performance of period music?
Yes = 27 No = 15
If yes, how many times per year on average?
Highest = 48, Lowest = 1, Average = 8.8
If yes, on which instruments? (check those that apply)
Modern Pianos = 9, Forte pianos = 9, Harpsichords = 23, Clavichords = 5
If yes, which temperaments:
All but three respondents wrote in "same as above" (Question 3a.). Those responding with different temperaments for performance specified the following unequal: Werckmeister = 2, Werckmeister III, Thomas Young, Kirnburger, and Valloti.
4. Do you ever have requests from faculty, students, or visiting performers asking you to tune unequal temperaments?
Yes = 19, No = 23
If yes, do you always attempt to honor those requests? Yes = 19, No = 6
5. Are you ever asked to recommend a unequal temperament for a specific concert? Yes = 7 , No = 32
6. On a scale of zero to five, (zero being no experience, five being a great deal of experience) how would you rate your level of experience in regards to tuning unequal temperaments?
Highest = 5, Lowest = 0, Average = 2.04
7. Are you interested in gaining more experience with unequal temperaments? Yes = 22, No = 14
8. Do you use a visual tuning device to assist in tuning unequal temperaments? Yes = 15, No = 20
If yes, which one? All responded SAT or SAT II, one wanted information on using a Korg WT12.
9. Do you feel tuning unequal temperaments is relevant to the performance of period music?
Yes = 32, No = 3, Not sure = 7
10. What technical problems or complaints have you encountered relating to the tuning or use of unequal temperaments:
Only six respondents mentioned problems or complaints summarized as follows: de-stabilizing instruments, time, terms or communication with artists, no standards, people using the instruments without realizing the "alternative" state of the tuning, pitch complaints, skepticism.
Several of the respondents have extremely strong feelings about the use of unequal temperaments. These ranged from using unequal temperaments almost all the time and in almost all situations, to considering un-equal temperament to be a giant step backward and completely misguided. A number of technicians felt unequal temperaments should only be used on "period" instruments and not on modern pianos.
A future issue of our newsletter will focus on this issue. Included in that issue will be a more complete analysis of these results. Want to write an article on this subject? Please consider it!
Questions about this survey or the results can be directed to: Scott E. Thile, RPT, Piano - Instrument Technician, Department of Music, Murray State University, PO. Box 9, Murray, KY. 42071. Phone: 270-762-4396, Fax: 270-762-6335, Email: scott.thile@murraystate.edu. Additional research on unequal temperament can be seen on my website at http://campus.murraystate.edu/staff/scott.thile/index.html
