Learning Aural Tuning

Don pianotuna@accesscomm.ca
Sun, 22 Sep 2002 20:33:28 -0600


Hi Alan,

It is called "good taste". Unfortunately there is no way to measure taste.
Current "fashion" is to make the octaves as wide as possible for a given
instrument. When I was learning to tune aurally--a perfect 4:2 was
preferred or perhaps an expanded 2:1 for A4 to A3. Now it is very much an
expanded 4:2 or even a 6:3.

I submit that your tastes also change with time and experience. I think the
best thing is to be consistent.

I further submit that each piano is an individual that will want something
slightly different. That's our job to find out--if the client is willing to
service frequently enough that it can be done.

At 08:40 PM 9/22/02 -0500, you wrote:
>   I will do so. I assume that's his 2 octave  temperament in thirds. If
>so, I have read but not tried it.    This would probably get you closer to
>the "best"  octave spread but it is not what most of the aural folks are
>using. They (I  think) simply set the A49 (or C40--let's NOT open that
>argument), set the A37,  then F33 and away they go ...    the first two
>intervals (including the octave) somewhat  arbitrarily or intuitively or
>instinctively or something. And getting a  great temperament.    How do you
>KNOW, i.e., K-N-O-W, that you have the BEST first octave  and the IDEAL
>F33-A37 set for a particular piano's particular inharmonicity and 
>quirkiness?

Regards,
Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.M.T., R.P.T.

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