A 440 Standard

[Jim Busby]

Jim, List,

As a technician it doesn't much concern me what the pitch will be in 100
years, unless they discover a fountain of youth. What does bother me is
having to tune A440 today for this performance, and then A442 tomorrow
for that other orchestra. 

I agree with Jim's original post about establishing a standard, whatever
that is, right now. 

BTW, I was instructed to tune A442 for a reputable orchestra last year
and forgot. (Conveniently) The conductor said the tuning was great...  

FWIW, we now keep the piano at A441 and nobody seems to have any
heartache. Go figure.

Jim Busby

P.S. Tommy Tedesco, a famous studio guitarist, once cut a recording for
Henry Mancini and was told that the nylon string guitar didn't fit,
could he please use a steel string guitar. To the horror of Larry
Carlton who was sitting beside him he brought up the same guitar and
said "how's this" and Mr. Mancini said that it was better. Then Tommy
said maybe you'd like to hear it on my electric, and brought up the same
guitar again. "Oh, that's perfect..."

-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of
James Ellis
Sent: Friday, April 16, 2004 7:36 PM
To: caut@ptg.org
Subject: A 440 Standard

I think David Ilvedson is correct.  I think if we all went along with
the
A=442 idea, it would just keep climbing.  Just look at where A was 300
years ago.  There wasn't much of an accepted standard, but what there
was,
was well below 440.  Then 200 Years ago.  Then 100 years ago the
"International Standard" was 435 Hz.  It kept climbing, so everyone got
together and set a new "standard" at 440 Hz, thinking it would stay
there.
Well, we see what's happening.  The manager of the Oak Ridge Civic Music
Association tells me he has a degree in psychology, and that he is
convinced it is a psychological thing.  I agree.

Someone on this list, I forgot who, said it might be that these
orchestras
just want to make sure the piano is not flat.  That could be, but if
someone tells me he wants the piano at A=442, I assume that's what he
means.

Well, the 79-year-old D at Oak Ridge High School (the one the National
Symphony will use next week) was 16 cents flat and badly out of tune
when I
found it yesterday - having gone through the winter with no attention
other
than getting banged on in the High School Band Room, and catching a few
spit-wads.  I got a brief window of time with it yesterday, and it's now
at
A=441.5 Hz.  This time tomorrow it will be solid at A=442 Hz.  After
that,
it won't get tuned again before the performance a week from tonight.
The
problem is, there is no time window when I can get access to it.
Tomorrow
afternoon is IT, and the weather is supposed to turn warm and rain next
week.  But unless someone knocks it off its stage truck again, busts the
artist bench again, breaks the lyre off again, drops the lid in the
floor
again, breaks another leg off again, or smashes the music desk again, it
will be OK for the concert a week from tonight.  The ORHS auditorium is
the
only large one in town with a big stage.

This old piano is the same one that was once in Steinway's concert pool,
got it's key frame re-made when Steinway got it's "Accelerated Action"
patent, and came directly to Oak Ridge from Steinway during World War
II.
Sorry, but I have a bias, and I keep showing it around here.  That old
piano has a unique history.  If ever an old piano was an old war horse,
that one is.  But the younger generation does not realize it, nor
appreciate it, and I have given up on a total restoration for it.

Jim Ellis


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