its immense popularity. For the present, the term "temperament" may be
considered as meaning the plan or pattern from which the tuner works.

No subject of so great importance in the whole realm of musical
science has been so strangely neglected as the method of setting a
temperament. Even musicians of high learning, in other respects, give
little attention to scale building, and hence they differ widely on
this topic. There can be but one "best way" of doing a thing, and that
best way should be known and followed by the profession; but, strange
to say, there are a half dozen systems of setting the temperament in
vogue at the present time. The author has, in his library, a book on
"Temperament" which, if followed, would result in the production of a
scale in which every chord would be unbalanced, harsh and unbearable.
This is mentioned merely to call attention to the fact that great
differences of opinion exist among scientific men regarding this
important subject.

In the author's practice, he was curious to try the different methods,
and has tuned by all the systems of temperament in vogue at the
present, or that have ever been used extensively. His experience has
proved that all but one is hampered with uncertainty, difficulty of
execution or imperfection in some respect.

A system which will positively insure the strictest uniformity of
difference in pitch of any given interval in all the keys, and that
makes use of the fewest intervals in tuning and the easiest
ones--those in which a discrepancy is most readily perceived by the
ear, is the best system to adopt and follow. Such a system is the one
followed by the author for years with the most satisfying results. He
does not claim any high honor by this statement, but does claim that,