Wives tales ... violin tuning

[Thomas Cole]

I tuned a Yamaha upright for a young woman who wanted to get back to 
playing the piano again after several years of not playing. She called 
me the evening after the tuning saying the piano just did not sound 
right and could I come out and check it.

It was right on pitch and there was nothing wrong with the tuning, so I 
tested her hearing and discovered that she had perfect pitch. She 
guessed every note correctly, a half step sharp! I didn't suggest tuning 
her new Yamaha 100 cents flat but thought she might adapt to the 440 
standard and a year later when I came back she done just that.

She never knew that the old upright she grew up with was tuned a half 
step flat. :-[

Tom Cole

Paul T Williams wrote:

>
> David,
>
> I had a customer back in Seattle who had me out to tune her piano 
> once.  It hadn't been tuned in years, but was one of those pianos that 
> went nicely uniformly flat so it sounded fairly decent.  After 
> explaining pitch raising and diving into the project, she stopped me 
> and said, "that A now sounds like a B-flat!  I can't handle it! Please 
> put it back!!"  Her "perfect pitch" was exactly a half-step off. 
>  Interesting what one's brain will do to you.  From then on, I just 
> tuned her piano a half-step flat and she could name any note on the 
> piano and loved the tunings.
>
> Ya never know in this business!
>
> Paul
>
>
>
> "David Ilvedson" <ilvey at sbcglobal.net>
> Sent by: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org
>
> 06/29/2008 03:09 PM
> Please respond to
> ilvey at sbcglobal.net; Please respond to
> Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
>
>
> 	
> To
> 	pianotech at ptg.org
> cc
> 	
> Subject
> 	RE: Wives tales ... violin tuning
>
>
>
> 	
>
>
>
>
>
> I had a customer a few days ago, whose piano I tuned 2 years ago.   
> She played some notes and said how flat they were...the piano in 
> general sounded reasonable.   I got started and the piano was indeed 
> about 4 cents flat and 7 in the treble.   When done I asked her if she 
> had perfect pitch...wasn't sure.  I played a D and she said that 
> sounded like a D...pretty cool...
>
> David Ilvedson, RPT
> Pacifica, CA  94044
>
> ----- Original message ----------------------------------------
> From: "Richard Brekne" <ricb at pianostemmer.no>
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Received: 6/29/2008 9:57:47 AM
> Subject: Wives tales ... violin tuning
>
>
> >As long as we are daddling around the subject matter... I just came back
> >from a concert tuning where the violinist asked me what pitch I tuned
> >at... I said 442, which is the norm here... and asked her where she set
> >her violin pitch wise. 442 was the response in a rather harse reply. I
> >said back.. really... many violinists end up a bit higher then the
> >piano... would you like to check with my ETD ?  She was at 445.  Perfect
> >pitch and all that you understand... a few tense moments there whilst I  
> >explained my ETD was calibrated to the Universal Clock in New Mexico...
> >or where ever that is and besides... I had three pitch forks with me
> >that all showed the same thing.
>
> >Cheers
> >RicB
>
>
> >        Fortuntely atleast one violinist i heard so far tunes in ET and
> >        not that crappy  pure 5ths... I thought my significant other to
> >        tune his violin in ET, after a year of struggle he keeps
> >        thanking me.. says the sound vinally stopped "slicing" his ears
> >        and sounds in warm harmony... From associating with them...
> >        violinists not only tend to think strangely bout their own
> >        instruments.. but worse. rat down on pianos... I was told by him
> >        that while he was studying, his professors always said "pianos
> >        are never in tune"... and some worse things...
> >        
> >        Sorry to change the subject, i thought id mention ET.
> >        
> >        Alicia> Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:56:17 +0100>
>
>
> >     From: ricb at pianostemmer.no>
>
> >     "Sadly, it's often pianists themselves."> > Violinists and
> >    Bureaucratic Cultural Pamps are also very high on that list.> >
> >    RicB> > > >
> >    _________________________________________________________________
>
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