[Dixielandjazz] Keys?

[Tom Belmessieri]

Hi Bill and all,

The masters who composed their classical pieces did so originally prior to 
the equal temperament piano tuning which can explain why certain keys were 
picked over others.  Prior to equal temperament, the intervals between 
pitches were not all the same among all the keys.  Each pitch was not 
equally separated from the next throughout the keyboard.  For example, the 
precise interval of the fourth from C to F was different than the precise 
interval of the fourth from Eb to Ab.  Because of these differences, some 
pieces on the paino(forte) actually did have a brighter, or darker, or 
plainer, or warmer harmony or feel to them, depending on which one was 
chosen.

My .02
Tom B.
-------------
>From: "Bill Gunter" <jazzboard at hotmail.com>
>To: robert.smith at tele2.no, dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
>Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Keys?
>Date: Wed, 04 Oct 2006 17:29:51 +0000
>
>Hi Bob and all,
>
>Thanks!
>
>That's the first reply I've received yet that addresses the notion I'm
>talking about. You have a good point.
>
>There are those composers like Scriabin and Tschaikowski who have spoken
>about this in the area of orchestration. They note that each key has its 
>own
>nature and color and has an impact on the particular key in which they will
>score the opus.
>
>That implies that Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C#minor would somehow have a
>distinct and essential difference than the same composition played
>transposed down a half step and that difference does not involve pitch. 
>What
>is that difference?
>
>That is a concept far beyond my ability to grasp.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Bill
>
>
> >From: "Robert Smith" <robert.smith at tele2.no>
> >To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> >Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Keys?
> >Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2006 13:59:13 +0200
> >
> >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
> >
> >
> >
> >
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>
>
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