Roland KF-90 owner manual Changing the Tuning, Changing Various Settings, Choosing the Tuning, 143

Chapter 8 Changing Various Settings

■Changing the Tuning

Choosing the Tuning

You can play classical music such as baroque pieces using their original tuning.

Most modern songs are composed and played with the assumption that equal temperament (the most common tuning in use today) will be used, but when classical music was composed, there were a wide variety of other tuning systems in existence. Playing a composition with its original tuning lets you enjoy the sonorities of the chords that the composer originally intended.

Mean Tone This scale makes some compromises in just intonation, enabling transposition to other keys.

Pythagorean This scale devised by the philosopher Pythagoras eliminates dissonance in fourths and fifths. Dissonance is produced by third- interval chords, but melodies are euphonious.

Werckmeister This is a combination of the mean tone and Pythagorean scales. Performances are possible in all keys (first technique, III).

1.At the Piano Customize screen (p. 142), touch <Tuning>.

The following screen will appear.

fig.08-06.eps

2.Touch any one of the icons to choose the tuning system.

You can choose from among the eight tunings described below.

3.Touch to choose the keynote.

When playing with tuning other than equal temperament, you need to specify the ground note for tuning the song to be performed (that is, the note that corresponds to C for a major key or to A for a minor key).

If you choose an equal temperament, there’s no need to select a keynote.

Changing the Tuning Curve

A piano is generally tuned to a pitch with a lower bass range and a higher treble range than equal temperament. This special tuning method for pianos is called “Stretch Tuning.” A graph that shows the changes in pitch of actual tuning compared with the changes in equal temperament pitch is called a tuning curve. Changing the tuning curve produces subtle variations in the reverberations of the chords you play.

Tuning system	Characteristics
Equal	This tuning divides an octave into 12 equal
	parts. Every interval produces about the same
	amount of slight dissonance. This setting is in
	effect when you turn on the power.
Just Major	This scale eliminates dissonance in fifths
	and thirds. It is unsuited to playing
	melodies and cannot be transposed, but
	produces beautiful chords.
Just Minor	The scales of the major and minor just
	intonations are different. You can get the
	same effect with the minor scale as with the
	major scale.
Arabic	This scale is suitable for Arabic music.
Kirnberger	This scale is a modification of the meantone
	and just intonations that permits greater
	freedom in transposition to other keys.
	Performances are possible in all keys (III).

1.Touch the <Stretch Tuning> icon to choose the tuning curve.

Display	Characteristics
ON	This tuning curve expands the bass and treble
	ends somewhat (Stretch Tuning). It is suitable for
	performances such as piano solos. This setting is
	in effect when you turn on the power.
OFF	This is the standard tuning curve. It is suitable
	when playing layered tones, or for playing in
	ensemble with other instruments.

Touch <Exit> to go back to the Piano Customize screen.

Chapter 8

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