Contiguous Major Thirds Accuracy?

[Ron Nossaman]

David Andersen wrote:
> Spot on the money, PRJ. So good it coulda come from Nossaman....<g>
> DA
> 
> 
> On Oct 25, 2008, at 2:11 PM, paulrevenkojones at aol.com 
> <mailto:paulrevenkojones at aol.com> wrote:
> 
>> David (Boyce)...
>>
>> Just a word on the contiguous 3rd's and their accuracy. However you 
>> start, from F3 to A, A to C#, C# to F4, e.g., none of the first 
>> settings of these pitches is precise, absolute, or unmovable, until 
>> other intervals become available to refine them, at which point they 
>> will become highly refined. The 2nd group of contiguous 3rd's, from 
>> F#3 etc. are significantly more precise than the first group since 
>> there are now more intervals from which to check. And so on. I have 
>> found, however, that I can set that first group of contiguous 3rd's 
>> such that, without listening to F3, I can almost always get an almost 
>> "perfect" octave at F4 just by climbing the contiguous 3rd's and 
>> balancing the middle 3rd correctly between the two others. It depends 
>> on the piano, its scale, inharmonic qualities, etc. Spinets require 
>> jiggling the intervals differently from 9-footers. It all ends up 
>> "tuned", though. There is little to be gained from thinking in cents! 
>> deviation in aural tuning on such wildly moving intervals as 3rd's, 
>> 6th's, etc. When all is said and done, a completed tuning is a 
>> completed tuning. For the several micro-seconds after completion that 
>> it remains a "tuning". :-)
>> Paul

Paul,
This sounds like good solid realism to me, except for two 
things. I sure wouldn't expect to be able to hit an accurate 
octave building contiguous thirds from the lower note. I have 
to set the octave first and interpolate thirds in between - 
then try to fix it all later. The second point is that I don't 
remember ever completing a tuning. Diminishing returns, 
defined by the resolution of the instrument, time investment 
against a finite life span and energy pool, venue 
requirements, my ultimately limited skill set, and the 
internal background noises in my skull determine when I need 
to quit. The mix varies with every appointment. Then those 
microseconds swarm in and do the rest.

David,
Get a job.


And a haircut. <G>
Ron N