A440 Standard - SHIFT OF LOCATION?

[Dave Nereson]

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  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Billbrpt@AOL.COM=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Monday, March 04, 2002 12:23 PM
  Subject: Re: A440 Standard - SHIFT OF LOCATION?


  In a message dated 3/4/02 1:05:01 PM Central Standard Time, =
skolnik@attglobal.net (David Skolnik) writes:=20



    Oh yes, regarding floating pitch.  While I practice it to a degree, =
I think=20
    A439 - 442 is unacceptably wide for any but the loosest of =
situations.  To=20
    me, anything under 440 is unacceptable.  I think of floating as =
between 440=20
    and 441.5 for a A440 standard.  The standard most likely represents =
the=20
    lowest acceptable pitch in any particular pitch environment, thus, =
allowing=20
    the BSO piano to float would seem to give a range of 442 to 44? ?=20



      Jeez, the pianos I tune in schools are routinely at least 20 cents =
sharp (in the middle) at the end of the summer and about the same amount =
flat after the heat's been on for a couple months.  I am not going to =
lower pitch every September and raise it again for the Christmas =
program.  I make exceptions for certain high school orchestras and =
choirs, but not many.  Now, if it were in the budget to have the pianos =
tuned twice or more a year, things might be different.  But as it is, I =
leave 'em sharp at the beginning of the school year, knowing from =
experience that if I lower 'em to 440, then they'll need an even more =
drastic pitch raise in Nov. or Dec.  I know many other techs experience =
this, as the topic has been discussed before.  But the reason for the =
post is that I thought this was what was meant by "floating the pitch", =
even if it's a range of almost a half-step.
                                                                         =
     --David Nereson, RPT, Denver
  =20
  >>>In my opinion, A440 is an important standard to promote and uphold. =
 I also concur with PTG's statement in its informational material which =
says that nonstandard pitch is "seldom appropriate".  But I don't =
believe there should be any rigid and inflexible rules.  Such a rule =
would be unenforceable anyway. Whichever decision is made about pitch =
ought to be left to the best judgment of the technician, taking into =
account the circumstances.  The consequences of that decision should =
also be the technician's responsibility, including the consequences of =
insisting on A440 when another pitch would have been more prudent.=20

  Bill Bremmer RPT=20
  Madison, Wisconsin=20
  Click here: -=3Dw w w . b i l l b r e m m e r . c o m =3D- <<<<

         I agree.  When speaking only of pianos and harpsichords, yes, I =
suppose there are times when another pitch would be more prudent, e.g., =
when performing music from certain periods in history when the commonly =
used pitch of that time, locale, and composer  were known, or when using =
instruments that structurally cannot withstand a higher tension.  But =
this thing of tuning to 441 or 442, I've never understood.  I've heard =
it argued that for a piano concerto, the higher pitch of the piano =
allows it to "cut through" or "project over" the orchestra, or that it =
makes the piano "brighter".  Rubbish!  It just makes it sharper.  Do =
they tune the piano to 442, then let the oboist give 440 for the rest of =
the orchestra to tune to?  If the pitch were magically to drop back to =
A440 in between movements, no one would notice.
      Besides, modern fixed-pitch instruments such as xylophones, =
marimbas, vibes, most electronic keyboards, bells, celestes, chimes, =
glockenspiels, etc. are tuned to A=3D440; also tuning devices such as =
pitch pipes, tuning forks (the commonly available ones in music stores), =
and electronic metronome/tuner devices all have A=3D440 as the standard. =
 Sure, some are variable, and many electronic keyboards now have =
variable pitch and even historical temperaments, but the "musical world" =
is tuned to A=3D440.  The most common exceptions I've found are organs =
and accordions, which are often sharp, including electric organs, for =
some reason.   Why is this?                            --David Nereson, =
RPT, Denver                                      =20

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