Aural vs. electronic again

[David Andersen]

My reply below:

>At 07:15 PM 1/24/2003 -0700, Kevin wrote:
>>How high can you hear the fourths while you're tuning?
>
>I'll be interested to hear David's reply. I'm not sure
>that I hear what you think I should (discrete beats per
>second), but I LISTEN to fourths all the way to the top.
>I feel like I'm tempering octaves, fifths, and fourths,
>trying to get all of them as un-obnoxious as possible,
>but allowing the fourths to move a little more
>than the fifths, and the fifths a little more than the
>octave.
>
>It seems to give me the sound I want, and it's a fail-safe
>for both the temperament and the scaling and inharmonicity
>of the piano. That is, if I goof up on a particular note,
>the fourth and fifth above will complain about it, so I
>notice it.
>
>In the upper register I do often hear that lower tone
>when playing both notes of fifths or fourths simultaneously
>instead of melodically. (Is it a "tap tone?" My book learning
>is starting to retire from old age and neglect.) For some
>reason I don't hear it when music is being played.
>
>David's turn --
>
>Susan

Hey, kids----I listen to straight fourths and fifths in the temperament, 
and then right down to the bottom of the piano.  I listen to straight 
fourths and fifths until I get well into the capo, and then I use 11ths 
and 18ths, and double, triple, and quadruple octaves; on big 
pianos,quintuple octaves. It took me a while to really hear the fourths 
as they really beat; you need to be patient; sometimes the real beat 
doesn't appear for several seconds, especially when you're listening to a 
2 or three string unison.
Following the fourths somehow, to me, makes the overtones line up, makes 
the stretch proper, makes the octaves deep in the bottom and brilliant on 
the top.   Players tell me they've rarely if ever heard a piano be "as 
clear" or "as in tune" as I'm able to get it. It's a constant challenge, 
because every piano truly is different.  Sometimes I feel we forget what 
an amazing feat we perform when we accomplish a solid, musical tuning, 
and that's one of the reasons we've traditionally undervalued our skills.

I love talking about this. If you need clarification on anything I've 
said, don't hesitate to ask.

David Andersen
Malibu, CA