Virtual Technician
Virtual Technician
74
A
djustmen
ts & S
ettings
2-12
Temperament
The Temperament setting allows the tuning system used by the ES520 digital piano to be changed from the modern
“Equal Temperament” standard to one of the various temperaments popularised during the Renaissance and
Baroque periods. It is also possible to create customised temperaments using the User Temperaments function.
Temperament types
Temperament type
Description
Equal Temperament
(default)
(Equal)
This temperament is the most popular tuning method, and divides the scale into twelve equal
semi-tones. This produces the same chordal intervals in all twelve keys, and has the advantage of
limitless modulation of the key. However, the tonality of each key becomes less characteristic and
no chord is in pure consonance.
Pure Temperament
(Pure Major/Pure Minor)
This temperament, which eliminates dissonances for thirds and fifths, is still popular in choral
music because of its perfect harmony. Any key modulation will result in dissonances.
* The key of the temperament, and major/minor setting must be correctly matched.
Pythagorean Temperament
(Pythagorean)
This temperament, which uses mathematical ratios to eliminate dissonance for fifths, is very
limited for use with chords, but produces very characteristic melodic lines.
Meantone Temperament
(Meantone)
This temperament, which uses a mean between a major and minor whole tone to eliminate
dissonance for thirds, was devised to eliminate the lack of consonances experienced with certain
fifths for the Mersenne pure temperament.
It produces chords that are more beautiful than those played with equal temperament.
Werckmeister Temperament
(Werckmeister)
Kirnberger Temperament
(Kirnberger)
These two temperaments are placed in between Meantone and Pythagorean. For music with
few accidentals, this temperament produces the beautiful chords of the mean tone, but as
accidentals increase, the temperament produces the characteristic melodies of the Pythagorean
temperament.
It is used primarily for classical music written in the Baroque era to revive the original
characteristics.
User Temperament
(User)
A custom temperament, created by raising or lowering the pitch of each note in the scale.
Changing the Temperament type
After entering the Virtual Technician menu (page 63):
Press the or MENU buttons to select the Temperament
setting.
Press the or VALUE buttons to cycle through the different
temperament types.
Press the EXIT button to exit the Temperament setting and
return to the main settings menu.
Summary of Contents for ES520
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