"Noise"

Horace Greeley hgreeley@leland.Stanford.EDU
Tue, 11 Mar 1997 15:22:46 -0700


Les,

I think the explanation you give in the second paragraph says it all pretty
well.

To elucidate the point a little, however, part of the problem with cheaper
(and , sometimes, not so cheaper pianos) is their lack of consistency.
It's (relatively) easy to come up with a beautiful design on a CAD screen.
It's another altogether to make the thing work in the "real" world.  It's
part of why I try, with admittedly mixed success, to view each piano as new
to me each time I see
it.  Just about the time I think I've really got one under control, darned
if it doesn't rise up and
smite me.

Anyway, stick to your guns.  I think you nailed it.

Horace


>Dear List:
>
>Well, I seem to have stirred up a bunch of framming with the question
>about doping hammers.  I have several
>others..................................................................
>Today's burst of trouble deals with a tuning I did today.  I told the
>lady, 'Your piano is difficult to tune.", to which she replied, "Yes, I
>know. Others have said the same.  Why is that so?"  And I couldn't answer
>her to my satisfaction.  It was an 'inferior' piano, but that doesn't
>explain anything, since the church where i direct music has an inferior
>piano that is an utter delight.  "Inharmonicity" is another buzz word
>that has a lot of overtones, but often doesn't communicate much.
>
>The ratio of noise in the piano, relative to the sound of the fundamental
>and partials, is quite high.  Nothing is really clear.  I have heard
>other cheaper pianos with the same problems throughout, but some are very
>clear.  Thus it can't be the "make" of the piano, since it isn't
>consistent.
>
>I would appreciate YOUR discoveries in this realm.
>
>
>Leslie Bartlett M. Mus
>Houston Chapter PTG
>lesbart@juno.com




Horace Greeley			hgreeley@leland.stanford.edu

	"Always forgive your enemies,
		nothing annoys them so much.

			-	Oscar Wilde

LiNCS				voice: 725-4627
Stanford University		fax: 725-9942






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