A440 and the tuning exam (was A440=Fork)

[Kent Swafford]

Terry Beckingham wrote:

>Suppose, even though the examinee has a
>perfectly tuned fork, he or she is off by 1 cent on the pitch. This will
>result in a mark of 90 percent (although not a perfect score, still a
>reasonable mark). It is my understanding that the pitch correction number
>(PCN) has been eliminated. 
>
>Now the examinee sets the pitch of A3 exactly to A4. He or she has then
>transferred this 1 cent error to A3. The examinee now tunes a perfect
>temperment from A3. This will result in a 1 cent error in every note of the
>temperment. A 1 cent error in the temperment area results in a 2.5 point
>deduction on each note. Therefore the examinee would end up with a score in
>the temperment area of only 67.5 percent and thus has failed the test
>without going any further.
>
>Am I correct, or have I missed something here? 

The pitch section of the exam, that is, the tuning of A4 in relation to 
440 Hz, is scored separately from the other sections of the exam. The 
pitch score is derived from a measurement of the exam piano's A4 in 
relationship to 440 Hz without regard for the pitch of the examinee's 
pitch source.

However, when it comes to scoring the rest of piano, there _is_ a 
correction made for the overall pitch level. Therefore, a perfect 
temperament as described above with that one cent "error" in every note 
will still score as a perfect temperament.

It is possible and reasonably common to get a perfect pitch score based 
on the tuning of A4 relative to 440 but still lose a point for the tuning 
of A4 when it is scored as a part of the mid-range. The examinee's 
temperament at its average pitch level is scored against the temperament 
of the reference tuning's average pitch level, and then the rest of the 
examinee's tuning is scored in relation to the temperament _as pitch 
corrected_.

So if the examinee transfers pitch poorly from A4 to A3, he may lose 
points on A4 when the mid-range is scored, but not on his temperament.

This is a bit complex. Surely others here will explain this as well and 
make sure it is all understood.

Kent Swafford