#$8 On Tuning an Equal Temperament. 



•rectly contrary to what your correspondent Mr. Smv 

 .says,' at page 450, as to l lie temperament now in use upon 

 the organ, viz. Organs are " universally tuned according to 

 the equal temperament-:" and the author continues^ " the 

 trials which I have myself made of the equal and unequal 

 temperaments, amongst the latter of which was that re- 

 commended by Earl Stanhope, have induced me to adopt 

 the equal temperament as the best for practice." 



" The method of tuning a piano-forte, &c. according to 

 the equal temperament, is explained by the following in- 

 structions, and further elucidated by the annexed tuning 

 table*, to which the reader is desired,, as he proceeds, to 

 refer." 



" Observe, that the capital letter? in the tuning table, in- 

 dicate the notes when tuned ; the small letters, the notes 

 to be tuned from them ; aim 1 the crosses the notes already 

 tuned, with which the tuning notes are to be tried in 

 chords, as will be shown in the instructions ; and that these 

 crosses stand for the natural -notes, except when otherwise 



marked." . , , I fft 



1. " By means or a tuning fork, tune the C next above 

 the middle C, and from the former, tune the middle c a 

 perfect octave. 



2. "From middte'C tune g, next above it, a little flatter 

 than a perfect fifth : and in order to ascertain whether it is 

 too flat or not flat enough, try it in a chord with the two 

 C's already tuned. If it make a tolerably good fifth, with 



, the C below, and at the same time a tolerably good fourth, 

 with the C above, it is ivell tuned:' 



Here, sir, I have to remark, that the little which the 

 fifth Cg is to be flattened, supposing the tenor- clifFc 

 of the usual concert pitch, or to make 240 c6mplete vi- 

 brations in cue second of time, 1 is just such, according 

 ' to Mr. Smyth's table, that it may beat" 12 times in 

 one quarter of a minute, or 15 seconds, a space of 

 time always to be understood when a number of beats 

 are mentioned, in what follows: and that the pre- 

 tended trial in the latter part of this precept, is inap- 

 plicable ciiid ridiculous, since every 'complement of a 

 tempered concord, to the octave, is alike tempered 

 with itself, wiale'ver that degree of temperament may 

 . and consequently whether well or ill tuned, for the 

 purpose of an ei/ual temperament, is almost as remote 

 from this test, as would be the hour or minute of the 

 (lay, on which such fifth was tuned.. 



# See Plate V. 



3. " From 



