Alternate Concert Pitches on the Modern Piano, was Re: Old Bosie

[Carl Teplitski]

Andrew    . . .  most accordions are tuned to standard pitch, A440 - A 442 - A444.

Apparently, there was the opinion that a higher pitched acc. would sound louder,
without being too far out of tune. A442 for instance. This has been discussed
several
times on this list, where piano is concerened. I'm not convinced that it does.
Accs. were
overmatched for volume by other instruments, before amplification, thus the
thinking.
I have never seen an acc. tuned to anywhere near 460 except maybe the mussette
reed.
Regular mussette isn't to wide ( 6or7 beats sharp) , using two middle reeds. One
of
the middle reeds is tuned 440, the other middle reed tuned sharp enough to produce

6 or7 beats per second. This approx. is the same as Leslie speaker on electronic
organs.
The Leslie is a rotating drum housing a speaker. When the drum passes an opening
in
the cabinet, it produces a doppler effect, which is not the same as mussette, but
the
speed of this effect is the same. The speed of the mussette changes at different
places
of the acc. keyboard. The 6 or 7 beats would be at around A4, or A5, and would
slow
down as it traveled down the keyboard towards the bass end. At the bass end 6 or 7

beats sounds like too much mussette, whereas at the higher frequencies, 6 or 7
beats
is to slow. French, Irish, Swedish, Italian, German are very pleasing to the ear,
but the
Scottish mussette is quite wide and sounds very much out of tune to me, and I'm
sure it
would to all piano tuners who deal in pure unisons, or as pure as we can get them.
Now
if this particular acc. uses 3 middle reeds to produce mussette( e.g.
A435-A440-A445)
it might really sound wild. I as a former student of the violin, prefer 2 reed
mussette, and
not too wide. A violinist produces a very pleasing and different speed vibrato ,
which I
wish I was able to do, but alas my studies never reached that level.( well, almost
)
Cajun music, which is folk music, uses much of this type sound, and seems very
appropriate.
( Zydeco )  More than anyone wanted to know ?? I still do many accordions today.
In fact ,
there seems to be an actual rediscovery of this very versatile instrument by
musicians. Although,
canned music has had a definite effect on overall band playing at socials, etc.
etc. in our area.
Guess that's a whole other subject, huh ??

Carl / Winnipeg









Andrew & Rebeca Anderson wrote:

> I tuned piano for a client in Aspen who reported her accordian always
> clashed with her newly tuned piano and asked why.  It was an Italian
> make.  I suggested that it might have an alternate concert pitch before
> discussing stretching and then we tested it, about A-460.  We discussed
> doing that to the piano too, but after weighing the possibilities she
> settled for a normal concert pitch.  I wasn't too positive about how a
> piano designed around 440 would sound at 460 and no, I didn't know how to
> retune an accordian. ;-)
> Anyone have comments about the practicality of alternate concert pitches on
> the modern piano?
>
> Andrew Anderson
> Las Cruces, NM
> At 08:59 AM 1/6/2004 +0000, you wrote:
> >Hi Richard,
> >
> >I think A460 was used on occasion. I don't remember where I read that tidbit.
> >
> >At 03:54 PM 1/6/2004 +0100, you wrote:
> >
> > >There used to be lots of standards... and Vienna...where this instrument
> > >comes from has a history of dinking around with really high standard
> > >pitchs. At present the Vienna Symphony uses A444. When this piano was
> > >built pitchs around A453 were floating around. I dont know what the
> > >world record for the highest Apitch is ... but Vienna probably would
> > >hold it !
> >
> >Regards,
> >Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.P.T.
> >
> >mailto:pianotuna@accesscomm.ca
> >http://us.geocities.com/drpt1948/
> >
> >3004 Grant Rd.
> >REGINA, SK
> >S4S 5G7
> >306-352-3620 or 1-888-29t-uner
> >_______________________________________________
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>
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