432

Well, you may be wondering how the '432' jam, mentioned in the post below, worked out. We had a decent turn out, maybe about 15 people, interested to hear what this was about. In the best workshop style, everyone contributed a little bit about what they knew. (If you'd like to get a taste, check out this blog.) One of the things that I love about running workshops is that it's a 2 way street. Heck, it's a 5 lane highway!

We chatted a bit, then we changed our tuning. We played a few G tunes, and chatted some more. The earth did not move or fly off its axis, but I think the consensus was that the sound was mildly appealing. Conclusion being that we wouldn't try to convert anyone. It's not appealing enough to try to get a whole circle full of jammers to retune every string. I'd imagine mandolin players might bear the brunt of a scheme like this. On the other hand, if we're ever in a smallish group and folks are curious and willing, I wouldn't mind doing it more often.

Late addition: I was talking with a luthier later in the weekend. He'd missed the jam, but we got to talking. He told me that the reason fiddles evolved with a slant in the neck was to accommodate the increase in frequency over the years that put added pressure on the neck. So, this concept of a standard affected not only pitch, but the actual construction of instruments.

So, thanks to everyone who showed up for this experiment! I think we all learned a lot. And, met some more really interesting people.