Notes 85-86-87-88.ab

[JElving@aol.com]

In a message dated 97-04-12 15:40:26 EDT, Bill Maxim, RPT wrote:

<<  What causes going sharp in pianos
 regularly tuned and not stretched beyond the amount a 2:1 octave indicates?
  Does it have anything to do with closeness to the end of the bridge/end of
 the soundboard?  >>

Quite often I have found in my own tuning, and the tuning of others I have
observed, that the top few notes are struck harder to be able to hear for a
longer time (not necessarily clearer). When this happens, and after the
tuning is finished and we have packed up our tools, gotten our check, and
driven away, the little gremlins come out and make those string go sharp. I
think it's revenge for having disturbed their sleep, because I've also
noticed that when I tune that upper section quieter, they don't wake up and
vandalize my tuning. My advice is to let the little gremlins sleep. That
means that the upper section needs to be struck much more softly than the
other sections of the piano. As is true with other things up there, the
shorter strings go sharper because a little movement makes a great deal of
difference, whereas on the longer strings, that same little movement doesn't
make nearly as much difference, although there is some.

John Elving, RPT
Sacramento, CA