Nightmare tuning

[Avery Todd]

Hi Ed,

   Sorry you're going to get two copies of this but I failed (again) to
notice the return mail address. I love your descriptions (awakened &
drooped, especially).

Ed Foote wrote:

>      OK,  there was four or five unisons that had awakened,  and a fifth or
>so above the bass break had begun to drop, and um lessee......, oh yea, the
>top two octaves had progressively drooped so that C88 was about 5 cents
>flatter than I had left it.  otherwise it was just perfect (:)}}

   Yesterday afternoon I was listening to someone practicing in the recital
hall for a flute recital that night. I thought the piano sounded pretty good
and didn't even really need any touch-up. So I went ahead and tuned the
harpsichord, which was also being used, and then checked the piano just to
be sure. Surprise! I found quite a few unisons that bothered me, but they
weren't even noticeable while the piano and flute were playing.
   I'm not advocating sloppy tuning at all, but I sometimes wonder if we
don't get so hung up on doing that "perfect" tuning that we don't hear the
real music. I know there have been times when there were 4-5 recitals on a
Saturday or Sunday and I didn't have time to do a complete tuning when I
was worried about the piano sounding OK. Then I ask about it the next day
and am told that everything sounded great.
   Thanks for the reply.

Avery

>     I did the Coleman chant of "unisons, unisons", then straightened up the
>bass break, but had to leave the the top end alone, other than two unisons
>that had not made the trip downward together .
>
>     Nobody in the hall noticed, got my compliments from the performer, Dean,
>etc.  hell, I didn't even notice the top end flat, and I was listening for
>it.
>     That music sure gets in the way of really being able to hear a
>tuning...................

_____________________________________
Avery Todd, RPT
Moores School of Music
University of Houston
713-743-3226
atodd@uh.edu
_____________________________________