Where oh where is the pitch??from Canada--AAA

[Joe & Penny Goss]

David,
" A little knowledge is a dangerous thing " Educate your music teacher.
Most likely it is his strobe and dependence on it that is the main source
of the difficulty.
Joe Goss


> From: David Renaud <studiorenaud@qc.aibn.com>
> To: Pianotech List <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Subject: Where oh where is the pitch??from Canada--AAA
> Date: Saturday, December 12, 1998 2:28 PM
> 
> 
> Here's a new, interesting experience.
>       When tuning for "Semiprofessional" concerts
> perhaps I should always be there till the concert starts???
> 
>        I tune for a rather good community choral group, that
> has done some recording, and has a regular concert series.
> They own a C7 that I rebuilt for them last year.
> 
>       This weekend they have two concerts, tuned the piano
> on Friday morning, the room was very cold, and the instrument,
> was bang on A440( I have been tuning it once a month since
> it was restrung). Cleaned up the tuning, did a little regulation.
> 
>       This morning I get a call to re-tune for tonight's concert,
> because the piano was  "15 cents flat and sounded terrible".
> 
>      They had in 7 brass players who have been playing for
> two years, grade school 7-8 to play with the choir. The school
> music teacher tuned them "exactly" to his machine at 440.
> and when they played with the piano it sounded extremely
> flat. He assures me the machine was calibrated to 440.
>      He then checked the piano with the machine, it reported
> the piano 15 cents flat.
>      I've checked my two forks they are both OK.
>      I know I can set pitch, when I passed RPT exam, not
> only did I have 100% on pitch, the deviation was 0.0-part luck.
>      I've quite a bit of experience tuning for concerts with
> orchestra, choir etc., and have never had a pitch problem.
> 
>      Seeing as I did not even raise the pitch is is unlikely it
> slipped. The outdoor temperature during the day dropped
> radically, and the church did not heat the room. so between
> the tuning and the tuning and the concert room temp.
> had dropped allot and was still cold, but in the process of
> warming up as they "tuned". The cold temp.-hunidity
> would have sent the low tenor area sharp not flat, and dropped
> it back down as it warmed up.
> 
>     I spoke with the music teacher, who tells me that his
> woodwinds at his school  are always very flat,
> but the brass are fine.
> 
>     I suspect his cheap machine is about 15 cents off.
> will find out today.
> 
> Question---- In your experience, how far off, how often
>                    do you find cheaper machines incorrect as
>                    far as defining A440? How much variation
>                    have you seen? Have you run into similar
>                    situations? If I confirm my suspicions, how
>                    do you tell a music teacher tactfully that
>                    he has been trying  to force his woodwinds
>                   15 cents sharp for  several years?.
> 
> Should we get danger pay for concert tuning mixed
> amateur groups??
> HA HA.
> 
>                                         Looking forward to your
> responses
> 
>                                          Dave Renaud
>                                          RPT
>