Another tuning theme

[Gregory Torres]

Ralph,

This "theme" with checks is similar to, or part of a "theme" which many of us
have heard and probably know , namely "up 2 thirds and down a fifth".
Meaning  you tune from, let's say, C3 tune C3 -E3,  E3-G#3, ( C4 should
already be tuned to C3 and checked with G#2 and D#3) G#3-C#3, C#3-F3, F3-A-3,
etc. By now you have a few "checks" already, one being the speed of beats
from C3-E3 and C#3-F3, etc. This is one of the first methods I learned. It is
taught in John Travis' books "Let's tune up" & "A Guide To Restringing". I
also use the fifth/fourth, fifth/fourth method on occasion when I have a nice
piano to tune and I am not in a hurry. I really enjoy tuning aurally under
these conditions but most times I have a few appt's to make so out comes the
SOT.

BTW, when I first heard the theme "up 2 thirds and down a fifth I thought the
tuner I was talking to was making a joke. I was ready to go get a "fifth" of
Jack Daniel's and set a real "temperament" ....<g>

Regards,
Greg Torres


ralph m martin wrote:

> I use the theme quite frequently when I'm tuning ET (which is all I
> tune). It's a very easy theme for me and all checks such as 3rds, 6ths,
> 4ths, 5ths. etc usually leave very little shifting to be done. Also worth
> mentioning, I suppose, is that the initial octave of A's that I set are
> simply set beatless rather than attempting to conform to a pre-designated
> stretch such as 4-2 , wide 2-1, 6-3, etc.
>
>