[CAUT] A440 percussion

[Chris Solliday]

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Re: [CAUT] A440 percussionAlan, the"spread" is the intonation naturally =
reached for at the extremes of the pitch range and soloists. In general =
soloists like to "sharpen up" so that they sound more brilliant, but =
there is a tolerance range where we, as listeners, don't perceive this =
as out of tune just as your perception of what you knew to be an out of =
tune piano wasn't disturbing. Also some higher pitched instruments "edge =
up" their tuning slightly and the lower ones down alittle bit but this =
is not calculated it is more perceptual. I might say it is more a =
tendency than a tuning, if you will. Players react like this at light =
speed to make things sound more"in tune." Yes, lights are effective =
pitch changers, although just playing shouldn't cause that kind of heat, =
but maybe if the player's body temperature raises to the point that it =
affects the humidity in the air, which I have questioned on occasion, =
there is a slim possibility that this could be the culprit. Chris =
Solliday
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Alan McCoy=20
  To: College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org>=20
  Sent: Monday, April 25, 2005 1:21 PM
  Subject: Re: [CAUT] A440 percussion


  Hey Chris,

  Could you elaborate on the tuning "spread" you referred to? I just =
tuned for the orchestra here (Markus Groh, a friendly and astute fellow =
and fabulous pianist, playing Liszt #1 in the first half and "Totentanz" =
the second half) and was onstage at intermission touching up a few =
unisons. I had touched up the piano off stage about 5pm leaving it at =
A-440 except the tenor was a couple cents sharp. Went out during =
intermission and the mid-range was 3c flat (fun with heat and lights!). =
I heard zero intonation problems between orchestra and piano from where =
I sat. There is definitely and thankfully some "tolerance" as to =
perceived pitch. Hard to anticipate just how much the beast is going to =
change with the heat. As I was onstage seeing that the pitch had sagged =
I also wondered if just playing the piano hard (ala Liszt) warms it up =
and contributes to a lower pitch. Anyone know?

  Alan


  -- Alan McCoy, RPT
  Eastern Washington University
  amccoy@mail.ewu.edu
  509-359-4627



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  From: Chris Solliday <solliday@ptd.net>
  Reply-To: "College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org>" =
<caut@ptg.org>
  Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 17:59:25 -0400
  To: "College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org>" <caut@ptg.org>
  Subject: Re: [CAUT] A440 percussion

  Wim, check my earlier post for rationale but one thing to note is that =
the tuning "spread" in a "good" orchestra is aprox 10 cents. Kind of a =
nice stretch. Maybe they weren't thinking, that usually works. Chris =
Solliday


    ----- Original Message -----=20
    =20
    From:  Wimblees@aol.com =20
    =20
    To: caut@ptg.org=20
    =20
    Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2005 5:46  PM
    =20
    Subject: Re: [CAUT] A440 percussion
    =20


    =20
    In a message dated 4/21/2005 12:37:00 P.M. Central Standard Time, =
jim_busby@byu.edu writes:
    =20

      List,

      Our percussion teacher told me (this week) that all new  =
percussion
      (marimbas, Xylophones, etc.) are now coming at A442, and that  if =
you
      want A440 it is now special order. He didn't tell me which  =
companies,
      just the ones he typically orders from.

      Jim Busby  BYU
      _______________________________________________


    =20
    I found out about this a couple of months ago when the harp player =
told  me she tunes to 442 to be in tune with the percussion  =
instruments. But the oboe plays 440, and no one has asked me to tune  =
the piano to 442.=20
    =20
    =20
    =20
    For those orchestras that tune to 440, but use mallet instruments =
tuned  to 442, doesn't the conductor complain these instruments aren't =
in tune  with the rest of the orchestra?=20
    =20
    =20
    =20
    This get's me to wondering if those who seem to be so worried about =
it,  really know if the orchestra is tuned to 442 or 440? Personally I =
think it is  just a case of "I want to be different", and/or "I am =
sooooo good, that I can  tell the difference", when perhaps they really =
can't.=20
    =20
    =20
    =20
    Wim =20
    =20
    =20
    Willem  Blees, RPT
    Piano Technician
    School of Music
    University of  Alabama



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