[CAUT] Stretch

[David Porritt]

This discussion of wide and narrow stretch is difficult using plain English.
Frankly RCT stretch numbers are to me just as obscure.  We can discuss
particulars in terms of partial ratios (4:2, 8:4 etc.) and that is a little
more revealing.  Or if one at least has an ETD of some kind we can talk of
the stretch of C8 in numbers.  For example in tuning a Steinway "D" my C8
ends up at 43.92 cents and on a "B" 34.76 cents.  That means something to
me.  I've heard of people using a stretch that gets to 75 cents at C8 and
that seems pretty s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d to me.  

 

Revealing where C8 ends up might make this a little clearer.

 

dave

 

____________________

David M. Porritt, RPT

dporritt at smu.edu

  _____  

From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Fred
Sturm
Sent: Friday, February 02, 2007 3:37 PM
To: caut
Subject: Re: [CAUT] descriptive tuning (was FAC)

 

Hi Jim,
    The devil, as usual, is in the details. What did Don M mean by wide and
narrow stretch? Perhaps he will weigh in and tell us. I suspect he did what
would be relatively easy, and used, perhaps, RCT, tuning one with the #9
preset, the other with a #1 or #2. Now this certainly meets a definition of
wide and narrow stretch, but it is measured largely focusing on octave size:
choosing that size and using it throughout the range (probably
oversimplification, but true at least in large part).
    For my own part, I dislike the sound of RCT #9 in the midrange. The
octaves it produces are too wide in the midrange to my ear. I personally
begin in RCT with a #5 preset (right in the very middle of the road), and
expand the high treble using "Custom EQ." That pretty consistently gives me
results I like. The octaves I tune in octaves 6 and 7, on some pianos, may
be much wider than some would tolerate. I find them quite tolerable there,
and would find the triple octaves produced via narrower octaves to be
objectionable. One man's opinions.
    The idea of tuning a piano (specifically stretch) to match repertoire is
not a new one. Horace Greeley has written along those lines many times, for
instance. Of course, this approach leaves the question, what do you do with
a mixed rep concert? 
    On the other side of the coin, Richard West wants to have a consensus
opinion about what an "ideal" concert instrument tuning would be. I'm more
in favor of "Vive la difference!" I prefer variety of opinion and practice
(just as well, because that's what we are certain to have among crotchety,
opinionated piano techs <G>). We should all experiment, and decide based on
our own ears and experience, not just follow some dictum from whatever guru
we choose to follow. One good reason: we are likely to have misinterpreted
what the guru wanted to say (might be the guru's fault, not having said it
precisely enough).
    Going back to Don Mannino's class, I think (if I have guessed right
about what Don did) it may illustrate what I was trying to get at in the
beginning of this thread: the problem of focusing on the octave itself, on
the octave's own size, as opposed to looking at how that octave fits into an
overall picture. 
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico 

 
On 2/1/07 5:33 PM, "Jim Busby" <jim_busby at byu.edu> wrote:

Fred, Richard,



Don Mannino gave a class a few years ago where he tuned two same
model/similarly voiced, etc. grands; one stretched to (or beyond) the normal
limits and one way under (not enough stretch). He hired a pianist to come
and play for the class. This class was a revelation for me because it
clearly showed a stark difference what the two pianos seemed to "like" (My
words) as far as repertoire goes. IMO the stretched piano sounded much
better on the melodic and faster pieces whereas it sounded too active on
sustained chords, etc. The other piano sounded great on the ballads and
awful (or at least not near as good) on the quicker and/or more high range
melodic numbers. Of course, Don put the pianos at extremes. 



My point is that the repertoire might require more or less stretch. (???)
Maybe Jazz needs more and Bach needs less??? I don't know, but maybe Don can
address it. A happy middle ground might not be as easy to get for every kind
of music.



Jim busby BYU

 

 

__________________________

David M. Porritt, RPT

Meadows School of the Arts

Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX 75275

dporritt at smu.edu

 

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