source file: m1400.txt
Date: Wed, 29 Apr 1998 17:14:36 -0400

Subject: RE: Difficulties in Piano Construction

From: "Paul H. Erlich" <PErlich@Acadian-Asset.com>

>Daniel Wolf wrote,
>
>>>(La Monte Young's _Well Tuned Piano_ =
>
>>>deliberately uses a lower tension to reduce, but not
>>>eliminate the stretching.
>
>I wrote,
>
>>That seems contrary to the evidence as well as scientific theory.
>
>Well, if LaMonte achieved the lower tension not through lower pitch but
>through thinner strings, then Daniel may be correct. Thin strings are less
>stiff and therefore less inharmonic, although on a given piano the short
>length of the high strings contributes about as much inharmonicity, as
>compared with lower strings, as their thinness eliminates. I apologize for
>the hasty retort. In any case, I agree with Daniel than stretched partials do
>not improve the overall characteristics of ET compared with any other tuning.