pitch raise

[Ron Nossaman]

>Norm,
>
>There is a question in my mind whether your reference to the tone
>"blooming" at A-440 is fact or perception.  Maybe it's time to call in
>the historians among us.  It's my understanding that A-440 was set as
>international standard pitch only around 1920.  It is therefore
>conceivable that pianos built before that time were not intended for
>this pitch and that hearing the tone bloom is perceptive.  But then,
>this may explain why some musicians ask for pitches higher than 440.  Is
>there more bloom the higher you go?
>
>No answers this time,
>Clyde Hollinger
>


It's not really pitch specific, but rather bearing load specific to the
individual soundboard. The sound improvement can happen through a wide range
of pitch up to 440+, or not at all if the soundboard impedance is just too
low for the increased load to help. And no, it doesn't get appreciably
better with added load once it's above the critical point. For a given
string scale, and in any specific place in that scale, a low impedance board
will produce a louder attack with shorter sustain, where a high impedance
board will produce a less loud attack with longer sustain. It's a matter of
how quickly the soundboard absorbs string energy.

Hope that's an answer.
 Ron