Hearing Aids and Voicing

[NBarr18195@aol.com]

     Your post brings to mind an experience I had. The elderly customer met
me at the door and on the way to the piano she said " I want you to tell me
whats wrong with my piano. These notes don't sound, playing keys in octave 6.
I did not understand her question asm I heard nothing out out the ordinary
for a small spinet that was 65 cents flat. A little discussion followed
during which her daughter entered the room and said, "Mother, those notes are
sounding. You can't hear them." This satisfied the mother and she said that
she could feel them hitting but could not hear them.
    The most interesting part of this episode came later. She agreed to
paying for the pitch raise and tuning to bring the piano to A440 and when the
job was finished, it was apparent that she could now hear notes a full octave
higher than before even though the pitch was now higher. The only
explaination I have for this is that the additional tension on the soundboard
gave increased amplitude. Any other explanation for this would be welcomed
and appreciated.

Norman Barrett
Associate member P.T.G.
Memphis, TN