Pitch floating at universities

[Bdshull@aol.com]

Michael, Roger:

At the University of Redlands, if the pianos are at A-440 in May, they could 
be at A443 or A444 in late August.  If I tune them at A440 in 
August/September, they will drop to A437/8 when we have our first dry weather 
system, and keep dropping over the winter.  Since the contract severely 
limits the frequency of tuning rounds, I target a two cycle range, A440-442, 
and except for the performing instruments I only drop the pianos to A442.  I 
never know when the first dry weather system is going to strike - it could 
happen anytime between September and January.   Several times I have 
completed the tuning rounds and immediately the humidity dropped 40% or more, 
destroying my work.  If I only drop pitch to A442, the pianos will only drop 
to A439/440 after the weather shift - they might be ugly, but not too flat. 

In a contract tech situation where there are strong weather influences on 
pitch, I think a two cycle range gives the most pitch control.  I would 
rather be able to tune more often and keep the pitch within Roger's one cycle 
range of A440/1.

Bill Shull, RPT
University of Redlands, La Sierra University

In a message dated 3/28/01 9:13:46 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
Michael.Jorgensen@cmich.edu writes:

<< Roger,
       I'm Amazed!,  Any advocacy or discussion of non 440 always opened a
 massive can of worms on this list.   I can't believe that nobody chewed on
 it to death before it went into digest form.   I guess your point makes too
 much sense to be debatable.
 -Mike
 
 jolly roger wrote:
 
 > > After I wrote,
 > >   "always tune to A440".
 > >
 >
 > Hi Mike,
 >           Above is the only point that I
 > disgree on. Sept tuning 441 where possible, time Nov 1st arrives most
 > pianos dive 20 cents due to local humidity conditions.
 > Steam heated building that goes to 10% in the dead of winter.   A little
 > less stress chasing the pitch.
 > Faculty knows that it is being done. Wind instrument studios a different
 > story.
 >
 > regards roger
  >>