Tuning forks

[JIMRPT@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 10/28/1999 3:04:59 PM, you wrote:

<<"Jim, can you enlarge on this? With the test, we're talking about precision 
to roughly <grin> 1 cent, more or less.">>

Well yeah I can............A tuning fork is very sensitive to heat changes 
holding a relatively cold fork in your fingers will cause the fork to change 
pich very rapidly.  For instance I just tried this for this post 
:-)....................
 I took my c523.5 cps fork that has been sitting out in room temperature for 
months now and checked it with my SAT, it was right on..........next I put it 
in the shop refrigerator right below the freezer compartment and left it 
there for 45 seconds..........checked it again (holding it very carefully as 
far away from the tines as possible) and it was two/three lights sharp on the 
SAT...................next I placed it in my hand for a ten count covering 
the tines and then checked it on the SAT and it was five or six lights 
flat................Now I don't know how to change lights flat and sharp into 
portions of cents ( Dr. Coleman???) but this shows there is a significant 
difference when measured.  Does this relate to a difference when setting a 
note??? you darned betcha......but is it gonna be a significant difference???




<<"If there's any reason why a piano tuned for a concert needs to be any 
closer than that, I would be interested to find out what it is! ">>

 Well you have allowed your  camel to stick his  nose under a tent where it 
shouldn't be :-)
At least this isn't what I was referring to........was pitch as requested, 
i.e., A440? A441? A442? A435?, what temperament (some are less pitch 
dependent/reliant than others), were the venue lights turned on before 
tuning? Is there heat/air conditioning in the venue? these and more, 
including the things you mentioned, go into determing pitch and where it 
would be set initially. Was your fork hot or cold? Just how do you set 435?, 
or 441?, or 442? when all you have is an A 440 fork? Does inharmonicity play 
a role in offset tuning? F to A440?, If so how much? And does the same apply 
to the other pitches?

  In other words I suppose a piano tuned in a dark venue with no heat or air 
is not going to be where you put it when the Ochestra is rehearsing and the 
lights and heat/air have been turned on so it don matter much noways how hot 
or cold yo fork is :-) And what happens to the woodwinds as they go sharper 
and sharper (?) during the concert? or the strings as they go flatter (?)

  The thing to do with a fork (my opinion) is to calibrate it a known 
temperature such as has been alluded to, i.e., armpit, under the belt, in 
your back pocket, etc.  Or you can let it float to the temperature of the 
plate, which is what I prefer, not having arm pits large enough to hold a 
grand under :-),  from that point you will know whether the pitch needs to be 
sharp or flat of your fork, nes pa??  Besides if you sets de pitch within a 
hemi, semi demiquaver y'all gonna be a hero no how .....!!

  To the person who asked the original question about fork temperature...do 
the best you can, with whatever procedure you feel the most comfortable with 
and you will not go wrong and you will be within the 1 cent margin.
My view.
Jim Bryant (FL)