recommend temperament for hammer dulc?

Subject: recommend temperament for hammer dulc?
From: allenmcbride
Date: 29 Sep 08 - 01:31 PM

Hi folks. I just downloaded Katsura Shareware's Strobe Tuner 1.6, which has a lot of temperaments built in. Since almost all of what I play on the hammer dulcimer is in four or five keys and their relative modes, I thought it would make sense to try something other than equal temperament for a change. But I'm overwhelmed by the number of options... some of these temperaments are hundreds of years old and, I speculate, may be considered inappropriate for modern ears.

Can someone recommend a well temperament, not too far from 12 tone equal temperament, that's sort of considered standard or commonly accepted for modern folk/pop music?   (I'd experiment for myself, if each trial didn't involve 45 minutes and a fair bit of back pain. :-)).

Thanks!   --Allen

Subject: RE: recommend temperament for hammer dulc?
From: GUEST,highlandman at work
Date: 29 Sep 08 - 04:43 PM

Try one of the Werkmeister tunings, or Kirnberger. I've used those on a pipe organ I used to maintain and play. Very sweet in the proximate keys but a bit jangly in keys with more than 3 sharps or flats. Another one I've played with a bit (but not so much, because I do my tuning by counting beats and to me it seems harder to tune) is 1/4 comma meantone.
I think you'll find those 18th century tunings enough different from equal temperament to be interesting, but they won't sound 'inappropriate' at all. In fact, for music that doesn't modulate all over the place, I predict you'll find them an improvement over equal (mis-) temperament.

-Glenn

Subject: RE: recommend temperament for hammer dulc?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 29 Sep 08 - 07:29 PM

I know somebody who uses meantone tuning regularly on his hammer dulcimer. It makes the dulcimer sound much better, but the problem with it is that YOU CAN'T PLAY WITH GUITARS. The usual result is that the guitarist correctly detects that they're out of tune and then flounders around wildly retuning whichever string they last heard a problem with. Since no guitar tuning can possibly match, this keeps them occupied for rather a long time (no bad thing) but they keep coming back to try playing along with you using their latest failed effort.

Subject: RE: recommend temperament for hammer dulc?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 29 Sep 08 - 10:40 PM

I recommend a good laid back temperment for hammer dulcimer players.

A good meal, a glass of mice wine, choice of some good tunes, and set to it while staying clam. (CALM! dammit!)

Set out your instrument in a well lit, well ventilated place, and select a table nearby on which you can lay out out your mucus... MUSIC!

Now select your hammers carefully. You can use plain sodden wooden ones, those with cork or other finishing on the ends for different tones...

DOWN OFF THAT TABLE! Get that damn cat off my music!

Where's that Scotch!

... um, you can use one hammer per hand, or more than one, or even your fingers...

Shut that bloody door - the wind! my music!

Ah - damn good Scotch. this is!

Ah, back to the dulshim, dulsch, DULCIMER!

Oops. sorry, nearly dropped that hammer!

Now a few simple scales to warm up - wait where's my tuner?

Damn thing! hundreds of shtupid shtringsh, always going out of tune...

What the hell! That's folken good enough for now!

Dammn the bottle'sh empty!

Ah hell, I'll jush duck out to the pub for more shuppliesh - see you later!

SLAM!

~~~~~~~~~~~

What the hell is 'mice wine' - ah - NICE wine.... TYPOS!

Subject: RE: recommend temperament for hammer dulc?
From: Fidjit
Date: 30 Sep 08 - 06:27 AM

I miss read the title. Thought it said temperature.

Thought you were going to put it on the fire.

Would burn well.

I'll get me coat.

Chas

Subject: RE: recommend temperament for hammer dulc?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 30 Sep 08 - 08:07 AM

Seriously, could you give us a list, or point us to a list of what comes with Katsura Shareware's Strobe Tuner 1.6?

Robin

Subject: RE: recommend temperament for hammer dulc?
From: GUEST,highlandman at work
Date: 30 Sep 08 - 09:48 AM

Good point about guitars... but since we're only talking about one or two keys, it is possible for a guitarist who is savvy about the temperaments (most aren't even aware there is such a thing) he/she can fudge the tuning of a string or two and come pretty close. I have done this, it works if you stay away from certain frets.
But keyboard instruments are pretty much out. Solo instruments like recorders, fiddles and flutes are flexible enough to match your intonation, as are voices (if the ear is up to the task).
If the tuner comes with a chart of all the frequencies for each temperament, you could look at the cents difference from equal temp and try to pick one that isn't so far off in the notes you expect to use. The family of Valotti tuning comes to mind for that purpose, but my ear can barely tell the difference between that and equal temp.
If you don't have a chart with your tuner, there is an excel spreadsheet available at
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bpl/temper.html
that might show you what you need.
(By the way, in my opinion "modern ears" have been spoiled by years of exposure to equal temperament and don't know what "in tune" music sounds like!)
-Glenn