Orchestral Pitch (was Perfect Pitch Update)

[Z! Reinhardt]

Just to add more chaos here ...  you may delete this if you've had enough
of this thread.

This discussion brings back a memory of tuning for a community orchestra
featuring a visiting pianist.  The pianist pleaded with me to bring the
pitch of the instrument up to A=441, or even 441.5 hz, because the wind
players seemed unaware that as their instruments got warmed up, their pitch
would escalate.  The piano sounded fine only at the beginning of the
rehearsal, but ...!

Thankfully I had time to comply with his wish (pitch-raising was not
mentioned in the work order I received).  His calculation of the pitch
increase was surprisingly accurate.  I stayed for the concert, and I could
just imagine what it would have sounded like if the piano was "left behind"
at A=440hz.

ZR!  RPT
Ann Arbor  MI
diskladame@provide.net



----------
> From: Richard Moody <remoody@easnet.net>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: Perfect Pitch Update
> Date: Tuesday, April 07, 1998 4:21 AM
> 
> Robert, 
> 	Thanks for sharing the illuminating experinece you had. I was asked to
> tune to 441, and ended up complying, which was posted.  The reasons had
to
> do with orchestra members using "pocket tuners" and noticing the pitch
> change of the piano before and into the performance. Also I was paid
> accordingly. However I find your experiences very interesting. To which I
> would like to add for what it may be worth.  On public TV there was a
> concert with the Korean violin prodigy.  The camera was on the orchestra
> tuning.  I grabbed my Korg tuner and set it to audio, and the A 440
> matched the oboe.  The TV sound was not enough to activate the needle. 
> But it was close, very close, the experience being similar to sounding an
> A440 tuning  fork and comparing it to the TV sound.  I was wondering if
> they tuned to 440 or 442.  It sounded like 440 to me.  
> 	However during the perfomance I checked pitch again. I would find the
> pitch on the Korg and listen as the orchestra played. I could hear
> definite beatings some times.  However these were on different notes than
> A.  But of course we must remember the orchestra plays in a different
> intonation than Equal Temperament. Perhaps the difference were hearing
> just intonation compared with ET. Or did they stray?.  One cycle two
cycle
> per second, or three? 
> 	As you mention, I also thought I heard a section out of tune. The
violins
> of all things.  Sure enough after the first movement the conductor had
the
> violins do some tuning. 
> Richard Moody 
> ----------
> > From: robert sadowski <rls@ncinter.net>
> > To: pianotech@ptg.org
> > Subject: Perfect Pitch Update
> > Date: Monday, April 06, 1998 7:15 AM
> > 
> > Dear List,
> >       After the request from the conductor to tune to A441,  I tuned to
> A440
> > as always.
> > After rehearsal, he told me to bring it down to 440, the oboe player
was
> > having trouble with the higher pitch.  When I checked it, it was
> actually
> > closer to 438.  I then realized it's best to let customers operate in
> > whatever reality they wish and just do the best tuning I can. The irony
> is
> > that this particular orchestra's brass section was playing so out of
> tune it
> > was making my skin crawl but didn't seem to bother the conductor with
> > perfect pitch.
> > 
> > Later,
> > 
> > Bob Sadowski
> > Erie, PA