source file: mills2.txt Date: Sun, 13 Jul 1997 21:19:57 +0200 Subject: Perishing Logic From: Daniel Wolf Fret positions on surviving early instruments are weak evidence of tuningpractice for several reasons. First of all, the frets were tied on so that their position is likely to have shifted. Second, the frets were made of natural materials (especially gut) so that they tend to decay over time. Third, as all players of fretted instruments know, the position of the fret is only one factor in the pitch produced. Most players can adjust the pitch considerably with their fretting fingers. Lindley's book on Lutes, Viols, and Temperaments (has someone got the reference handy?) gives some ideas about how a set of frets can be subtlyset so as not to yield the same ratio on each string. Received: from ns.ezh.nl [137.174.112.59] by vbv40.ezh.nl with SMTP-OpenVMS via TCP/IP; Mon, 14 Jul 1997 01:46 +0200 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA03296; Mon, 14 Jul 1997 01:47:27 +0200 Date: Mon, 14 Jul 1997 01:47:27 +0200 Received: from ella.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA03246 Received: (qmail 17869 invoked from network); 13 Jul 1997 23:30:34 -0000 Received: from localhost (HELO ella.mills.edu) (127.0.0.1) by localhost with SMTP; 13 Jul 1997 23:30:34 -0000 Message-Id: Errors-To: madole@mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu