In a message dated 99-03-03 08:49:19 EST, you write: << 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 >> Clyde, the new standard of A440 may not have been as dramatic as we think; The previous standard of A435 was at 59 degrees F., and the new A440 standard was at 72 degrees F. (Actually, Michael Travis in his PTG article on pitch in 1990 says 1972, but John Travis in "Let's Tune Up" says 68 degrees. At any rate, the difference is not as much as it seems.) The bloom, I think, can also be attributed to the string reaching its 75-80% of tensile strength, where it sounds best. Sure, the SB impedance is a factor, and whether the SB crown remains enough to have sufficient downbearing to sustain the energy transfer; a string well below tension is not likely to sound as good as it might at its desired tension. I have never hesitated to dive in and pull up a piano from wherever it is to A443 or A444 the first time through; had one plate break in 20 years - it was a 200 cent pitch raise on a PSO upright. That seems to be par, others I know have had more, some none. It is funny how a Victorian upright with ugly rusty strings might have no string breakage, but a more recent piano might break a couple. One of the best ways to improve tuning skill is to push yourself in a pitch raise. Speed may not always be essential, but it is more essential that we think. Floor tunings, or music dept tunings, provide the opportunity for frequent pitch raises (or lowerings in a high humidity period). As we develop speed in raising pitch we gain control of the final result of the pitch raise, and develop confidence that we can obtain the results we want. Then in high pressure situations, when we have severe time limitations, we are less likely to "lose it", more likely to be up to the challenge. I stopped using a ETD for the last year, and forced myself to do pitch raises aurally. At first I was not as good at hitting my target in pitch raises - not too bad - could usually stick to two passes, but not as good as before. It is very satisfying now that I can aurally raise pitch and have the piano where it would have been with an ETD. I will probably go back to the ETD (when I can buy a good used SAT from someone on this list), but the aural pitch raise skills I learned without the ETD are valuable. However, if you are an aural tuner and hesitant to do major pitch raises, I say - go for it! If you are afraid of string breakage, master your string tying skills and warn the customer. If you are afraid of plate breakage, try another line of work - it can happen to anybody. (But go through the motions anyway - inspect the back, tighten the accessible plate screws and inspect the plate - especially on a major pitch raise). Usually my first tuning (2nd pass) is within 2 or 3 cycles of A440 unless it's a raise of 400-500 cents (those are a real party!). Stop at the second pass - don't do a tuning exam tuning. Big pitch raises require a followup in a month or so anyway - sell that as mandatory. Let time do its work for you too. Do you want the piano to sound good, or just to be in the ballpark? If the piano was built to be at A440 (435, whatever...), and hasn't been dropped from a truck or developed back separation, it can take a major pitch raise. A municipal judge friend of mine suggests that we have the client sign a liability release when we do major pitch raises. Probably a good idea - my only plate break took me to small claims court, where the plaintiff lost. However, others have not been so fortunate; better safe than sorry. But not good enough reason to stop performing relatively easy pitch raise procedures. Bill Shull U of Redlands, La Sierra U Loma Linda, CA
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