Temperature and the Tuning Fork

[Ed Sutton]

Quite right. Jim Coleman has turned this to an advantage: Don't ignore the 
partials, intentionally listen to the third partial of the electronic fork 
and make sure it's beating between 3 and 4 bps on the flat side with the A4 
string (Check with C4). Add this to one or two of the traditional checks at 
440Hz and you have a very accurate method.

Ed Sutton


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Scott" <fixthatpiano at yahoo.com>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2008 7:19 AM
Subject: Re: Temperature and the Tuning Fork


> Ed Sutton wrote:
>
>>  For the tuning exam, it's probably best to get an electronic A440.
>
> But if you use an electronic A-440, be careful of harmonics.  Most 
> electronic tone generators have strong 2nd and 3rd harmonics.  These 
> harmonics will beat with the 2nd and 3rd partial of A4.  And due to 
> inharmonicity, these beats will not go to zero at the same tuning as when 
> the fundamental beats go to zero.  You can train yourself to focus on the 
> fundamental and ignore the 2nd and 3rd partials, but it may not be easy. 
> If you tune to the 3rd partial you could be off by half a cent at the 
> fundamental, and the fundamental is where you will be evaluated for the 
> setting of A4 in the tuning test.  However a tuning fork is almost pure, 
> so the only beat you will hear is the fundamental.
>
> Robert Scott
> Ypsilanti, Michigan
>
>
>
>
>
>