Just in case you didn't know: Back in the 50's? a man name Railsback? had an amazing device called a Conn Strobo-Tuner. He followed around all the best concert tuners checking their work. He expected to find a perfectly straight line at O cents but was flabbergasted to find the pitch going flat in the bass and sharp in the treble. Possibly the first experience with the natural stretch we automatically put into a tuning. I think this story was told to me by Jim Coleman or Dr. Sanderson....anyone know where the story came from? David Ilvedson ----- Original message ----------------------------------------> From: Bec and John <bjsilva001@comcast.net> To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org> Received: Wed, 9 Jun 2004 22:38:36 -0400 Subject: Tuning styles with octaves >Hello, >I am curious about people who do not tune octaves "perfectly". For >instance, tuning bass notes flat or sharp in smaller pianos in favour >of better partials. >My own taste and philosophy is to tune all octaves completely >beat-less. Even in the bass of small grands, if the note is off-tune in >favour of a potentially less offending partial that will bother me far >more than the partial. In the highest range, beats appear with the >smallest of imperfections and, to me, perfectly clean higher notes (at >least on a nice piano) are so pretty - even a very slow beat ruins it >for me. >So I was curious to hear people's explanations for stretching octaves. >I always figured it was to humour the person they are tuning for, >although I have gathered from postings on the list that some tuners >prefer it themselves. >When I was studying tuning I recall reading or hearing someone say that >if the octaves were tuned "perfectly" they'd be off tune at either end >of the piano - I found exactly the opposite! :) >Thanks. >- John >_______________________________________________ >pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC