Room Harmonics

John Minor jminor@uiuc.edu
Wed, 26 Nov 2003 13:20:20 -0600 (CST)


I had a customer call me back with a "damper" problem on a 'B' I recently
tuned. There was definitely a harmonic coming from somewhere and the only
source I could deduce was "room harmonics". My guess was the room
"enhanced" a certain frequency that set off certain notes.

I was able to duplicate this phenomenon by tuning our 9' Hamburg Steinway
in it's brick block storage room the other day. There was a sympathetic
harmonic on the unmuted duplex at B3 I was ready to mute off with
stringing felt. Once the piano was on stage the annoying harmonic was
gone!

Anyone else encounter these circumstances?




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