silly question

[Don]

Hi Richard,

The answer is very simple. Each frequency has it's own particular wave
length. Standing waves have "null" points where there is little or no
energy. If your ears (or a mic) are on one of those nulls you will hear
nothing. 

As pitch rises the "sound" becomes much more directional. You might think
about a flashlight with a beam that can be focused. The lower the pitch the
wider the beam is.

The reason being farther away helps is that the sound does bounce off other
surfaces and blends. 

I believe there is an argument to be made for tuning in a seated
position--because that is what the pianist hears, even if "standing" allows
you to "hear" better.

I suppose an extension of that theory would be to listen to the output of a
microphone for tuning for recordings--so that the piano would be "in tune"
at the mic.

At 11:26 AM 10/12/01 -0500, you wrote:
>Hello All,
>
>It's Friday for whatever that's worth, but I thought it might be a good
>day to ask a silly question that's been rattling around my head for
>years (along with that loose screw that's up there, too)
>
>Why is it that head position makes such a difference when you're
>tuning.  Sometimes if I have trouble picking out a beat, I just move my
>head, and the sound becomes clearer.  Also, I find I hear a lot better
>standing up.  When I use the machine, it makes a difference where I put
>the mike.  The machine has trouble reading some notes but if I move it,
>the reading is clearer.  What is it about sound waves that creates this
>effect?  Are there nodes in the air in addition to nodes on the string?
>There's probably an obvious answer, but I've never looked it up or heard
>it.  I'll leave it to more educated personages than I to give me the
>answer.  Thanks in advance.
>
>Richard West
>University of Nebraska
>
>

Regards,
Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.M.T., R.P.T.

mailto:drose@dlcwest.com
http://donrose.xoasis.com/

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