Aural Tuning- Pianos with High Inharmonicity

David Love davidlovepianos at comcast.net
Tue Mar 6 23:16:03 MST 2007


If you use the Baldassin/Sanderson 2 octave temperament (A2 - A4) with
contiguous thirds set at a 4:5 ratio for the initial architecture, you will
find that the F3-A3 third beats somewhat slower than 7 bps on that piano,
not faster.  Using that system will ensure that the thirds set up at the
proper speed relative to each other then it's just a matter of filling in
using alternating 4ths and 3rds checking with 5ths and 6ths (or whatever
method you prefer).  Whereas the A2-A3 octave will typically tune as a 6:3
octave on larger pianos, the smaller piano pushes it more toward a 4:2 to
keep the double octave A2 - A4 in line.  The A3 - A4 octave should be no
wider than a 4:2.

David Love
davidlovepianos at comcast.net 
www.davidlovepianos.com

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Greg Livingston
Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 8:18 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Aural Tuning- Pianos with High Inharmonicity


Dear Friends,

(This is for my aural-tuning colleagues; I am three college tuitions away 
from an ETD...)

Today I struggled with a 70's Acrosonic and no matter what I did, it still 
sounded lousy. I tune aurally, using Bill Bremmer's chain (April-May 2004 
PTG Journal). Finally, I went back to my old standby, 4ths and 5ths, and got

it sounding okay.

When you tune a PSO, do you spread the F-A third wide?  Do you set it at 7 
bps or more? Do you try to get the F-D to match the A-C#? Or do just try to 
get the octaves as beat-free as you can? How do you deal with these beasts?

My wife says I shouldn't take on any more spinets...maybe she's right...

_______________________________________
Gregory P. Livingston, Piano Tuning and Service
781-237-9178
Piano Technicians Guild, associate member
(Boston chapter)

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