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3) Temperaments
Your Kawai digital piano offers not only equal temperament (the modern standard), but also immediate access
to those popular during the Renaissance and Baroque period.
■ Procedure
With the piano in the programming mode, press the E.-
PIANO 2 switch so that it flashes to indicate that the piano
is waiting for a temperament specification. Press one of the
seven white keys at the lower end of the keyboard to select
one of these corresponding temperaments.
1. Equal temperament without the tuning curve
2. Mersenne pure temperament
3. Pythagorean temperament
4. Meantone temperament
5. Werckmeister DI temperament
6. Kirnberger HI temperament
7. Equal temperament with the tuning curve
Note: • When the power is first applied or reapplied after
a short break, the piano returns to the modern
standard,
equal
temperament with the tuning
curve (#7).
Key set function is also available at this point. As you know,
limitless modulation of the key became available only after
the inventation of Equal Temperament.
When we use a
temperament except Equal Temperament, we must carefully
choose the key signature to play in.
To select the key signature setting, simply press one of the
keys marked on the front panel.
For example, if the tune
you are going to play is written in D major, press D key to
set the key.
Please note that this will only change the "balance" of the
tuning, and the pitch of the keyboard will remain unchanged.
Use the Transpose function to change the pitch of the whole
keyboard.
Notes: • The order in which the temperament and key
signature are pressed does not affect the final
result.
• These temperament and key signature specifications
remain in effect until the power is removed.
■ Temperament Characteristics
• Equal temperament
This, by far the most popular piano temperament, divides the
scale into twelve equal semitones and has the advantage of
producing the same chords for all transpositions.
• Mersenne pure temperament
This temperament, which eliminates consonances for thirds
and fifths, is still popular for choral music,
• Pythagorean temperament
This temperament, which uses mathematical ratios to elimi¬
nate consonances for fifths, has problems with chords, but
produces a very beautiful melodic line.
• Meantone temperament
This temperament, which uses a mean between a major and
minor whole tone to eliminate consonances for thirds, was
devised to eliminate the lack of consonance experienced
with certain fifths for the Mersenne pure temperament. It
produces chords that are more beautiful than those with the
equal temperament.
• Werckmeister HI temperament, Kirnberger DI temperament
For key signature with few accidentals, this temperament
produces the beautiful chords of the mean tone, but, as the
accidentals increase, the tension increases, and the tempera¬
ment produces the beautiful melodies of the Pythagorean
temperament. It is used primarily for classical music written
to take advantage of these characteristics.
■ Leaving the programming mode
To leave the programming mode, simply press the CFIORUS switch. The flashing will stop, and you will return to the tone color
in effect when you entered the programming mode.
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