Are we having "fun" yet?

I just want to make absolutely certain that I'm "getting" this, since these
basic concepts are going to make it a lot more "fun" to participate on the
Tuning List. Who knows?? I may even "shut up" and not post all the time.
This is a powerful incentive for somebody to confirm what I am (I think)
beginning to understand:

A big "key" to the apartment was given by Paul Erlich in 535:20, with his
string of fifths:

...Fbb-Cbb-Gbb-Dbb-Abb-Ebb-Bbb-Fb-Cb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb-Bb-F-C-G-D-A-E-B-F#-C#-G#-
D
#-A#-E#-B#-F##-C##-G##-D##-A##-E##-B##...

If I am understanding this correctly, the "comma drift" or "comma pressure"
for PYTHAGOREAN is going toward the *RIGHT*. Thereby, B# is higher than C,
and any of the enharmonics to the right of the linear chain are also higher
than the ones to the left, ie. G# is higher than Ab.

In MEANTONE, the comma pressure is *reversed* due to the narrowing of the
fifths by some percentage of the comma, depending on the particular
meantone.
Therefore, the "pumping pressure" goes toward the *LEFT* and as we traverse
12 fifths there is actually a *DROP* in pitch by a diesis.

For this reason, in meantone, Db, on the left of the scale becomes *HIGHER*
than the corresponding enharmonic C#. This actually corresponds to more
how we would think today in 12-tET where it would seem that a Db should be
higher in performance than a C#. This also makes a lot of sense since
meantone is *essentially* the system we use today, with the Pythagorean
comma "ironed" a little differently and spread evenly as 12v 2...

?? Pi or "P" ??

Joseph Pehrson

Joseph Pehrson: everything you say in this post is correct, except these odd
statements:

>the "comma drift" or "comma pressure"
>for PYTHAGOREAN is going toward the *RIGHT*.

>In MEANTONE, the comma pressure is *reversed* . . . the "pumping pressure"
goes toward the *LEFT*

I'm not sure that this idea of "pumping pressure" going in one direction or
the other really makes sense -- is there a gravitational pull toward
lowering in musical pitch? I doubt it.