[Dixielandjazz] Keys?

[Robert Smith]

Now, Bill, I agree with you. I think the so-called "key timbre" harks back 
to the days when music was completely mathematical in the sense that Bb is a 
higher note than A#, because when computing the intervals one computes down 
from B to Bb and up from A to A#. This meant that there were originally 22 
keys which meant two keyboards for all the keyboard instruments - one tuned 
to the sharp keys, and one tuned to the flat keys. Then a certain Mr J.S. 
Bach came along and squashed this silly separation by producing the "well 
tempered piano" where the black notes are tuned somewhere between the flat 
note of the white note to the right and the sharp note of the white key to 
the left.

So today it's only players of stringed instruments with no frets and 
trombonists (and, of course, singers) who can hear any difference between Bb 
and A#.

It's something akin to we washboard players who can hear the difference 
between a dotted quaver followed by a semi-quaver and a quaver triplet with 
a crotchet and a quaver. Something which some melody instrument players 
don't regard as important.

Cheers

Bob Smith