Celeste tuning for honky tonk

[Conrad Hoffsommer]

Liszters,

Thanks for all the input!

At 18:58 3/1/2005, you wrote:
>It is the same for tuning pipe organ pipes on the Celeste rank.
>D.L. Bullock    St. Louis

>The way I was taught, was to tune all the center strings as usual. Then, 
>tune the left strings 1-2 cents flat, (this is a matter of choice/taste, 
>i.e. how raucous you want the thing to sound.<G>) Next, tune all of the 
>right strings 1-2 cents sharp....i.e. what ever you decided on the left, 
>will dictate the "spread" you put on the right. Bi-chords, everyother one 
>flat/every other one sharp.
>When you do this, put your "in-tune sensibilities" to bed, as you won't 
>like the sound!<G> Finally, have the pianist test it for his/her reaction(s)
>Have fun!<G>
>Best Regards,
>
>Joe Garrett, R.P.T.

>Stephen Airy wrote:
> > One honky-tonk sound I like is to detune the 2-string
> > unisons about 25-35c, and other unisons at varying
> > degrees (A-440 beating about 3bps for example), beat
> > rates of unisons in top half-octave equaling
> > fundamental frequencies of lowest few notes.  I have a
> > recording of a piano that was about 150c flat and
> > several unisons were out.  I'm curious:  How far out
> > do you guys like to put the unisons to get the
> > honky-tonk sound?  I like about 30c in the bass, 15c
> > in the midrange and treble, with some notes out more
> > than others, but none out more than 50c.

>Hello Conrad and List
>Last time I tuned to "Honky" style was for Porgy and Bess. First I tuned 
>it to A=440, then I simply tuned one of each of the tri-cords and bi-cords 
>out of tune. The chorus hated it. Simon Rattle simply grinned. The LPO (in 
>the pit) were rolling in the aisles. The results can be heard on the CDs 
>of that Glyndebourne production from 1986. Nearest I can get to lawrence 
>Welk I'm afraid. (be very afraid)
>Regards from darkest Sussex
>Michael G.(UK)



This type of tuning certainly is open to artistic interpretation, isn't it.

The last time I did celeste or string stops they were 2-4 bps, bass to 
treble. That would fall in Mr Airy's recipe in the bass but near Joe's in 
the treble.

Joe's recipe sounds pretty close to how the piano is detuned for the PTG 
exam, except that one string is left in tune.  What are those specs, 
anyway. I'm not a CTE.

Yes, Michael G., I'm afwaid; vewwy, vewwy afwaid. We work for years to hone 
our technique and accuracy and POW! somebody wants us to create an instant 
stale tuning.






Conrad Hoffsommer, RPT, MPT, CCT, PFP, ACS, CRS.
Decorah, IA

- Certified Calibration Technician for Bio-powered Digitally Activated
   Lever Action Tone Generation Systems.
- Pianotech Flamesuit Purveyor
- American Curmudgeon Society - Apprentice Member and Founder