Perfect tuning

[Walter Sikora]

-

On Tue, 4 Feb 1997, Susan Kline wrote:

>
> At 07:33 PM 2/4/97 -0600, you wrote:
> >

> >I  have always wondered what happens if the pianist plays middle C and the
> >violinist plays the E tenth above, and holding that, the pianist then plays
> >that E.  The piano tenth beats ten beats per second sharp of pure. The
> >piano can't adjust, so the violinist must.  I have always wanted to ask if
> >they hear this and how or if they adjust. Perhaps through vibrato?
> >
> >Richard Moody
>
> Dear Richard and List,
>
> I once asked William Primrose how his students adjusted to a tempered scale
> when accompanied by piano, and he just said wistfully, "If only they played
> as well in tune as the piano!"
>
>
> Susan Kline
> skline@proaxis.com
> P.O. Box 1651,
> Philomath, OR 97370
> (541) 929-3971
>

I had a customer just yesterday who is a string teacher.  She said that
string players adjust pitch of notes to sound in tune with accompaniment
as they play. 'On the fly' so to speak.

A string player wouldn't play, for example, a pure 10th above a
piano's middle C.  That would sound archaic to modern ears.  So it's a
question of how much they would sharpen it and this question might be
answered by measuring notes on recorded music.

Speaking of "perfect" tuning, I'll bet there are a lot of tuners who don't
like the word "perfect" very much. If a perfect tuning were possible at
all it would require a perfect piano, and I doubt there is one, at least
on this planet.

I had the opportunity last weekend to prepare the piano for George
Winston's concert at UNC.  I'm sure the tuning wasn't perfect, but it
was no doubt the best tuning I've ever done.  George and his people had a
smile on their faces.

To hear the sound George got from the Steinway D was a dream come true.  I
thought he played with the gusto and freedom of a Horowitz.  It was a
thrill to be a part of this cultural event.  I'll settle for that.

Walter Sikora, RPT
Chapel Hill, NC