Pitch Floating

[Clyde Hollinger]

Avery,

In your situation I would do what you are doing.  I will probably start
floating some of the average home pianos that get tuned only once a
year.  Here's an hypothetical example:  Every June a client's piano is
usually in the ballpark.  But in one year it is very sharp following two
weeks of damp rainy weather.  I know that if I lower the pitch to A440,
the next year it is likely to be very flat.  I might take it a little in
the direction it should go, though, since it will not change evenly
across the whole range.

Of course we all know what such a piano really needs, don't we?  ;-)

Floater Clyde

Avery Todd wrote:
> 
> List,
> 
>    There have been discussions in the past of letting the pitch float a
> little. My question pertains to doing this on a concert instrument.
>    We have 4 S & S 'D's which are usually tuned (or "touched up") several
> times a week. Sometimes daily. How does one determine which note to use
> as the pitch standard if one wants to let it float?
>    Almost invariably, the low tenor is sharper than the rest, with it
> basically decreasing as one goes up the scale, at least after the lowest
> treble break. Then the bass is almost always right on.
>    If the piano is roughly the same amount sharp throughout, no problem.
> But in the above case, wouldn't it be better to just go ahead and lower
> the sharp portion(s) and tune as usual?
>    That's what I usually do, but have been curious about which note (or
> area) you "floaters" use to determine the pitch level.
>    Just thought I'd throw something out for thought over the weekend.
> Have a good one.
> 
> Avery
> 
> P.S. I do use an SAT III with my 'D' tunings loaded into memory.