harp temp

[RIrvingbas@AOL.COM]

Hi there list,

We have a very talented harpist in my unit, The United States Army Field 
Band, and I can say for sure that she tunes dead on with the tuner, without 
stretching. This is the same way that all of our keyboard percussion 
instruments were tuned at the factories. This does occasionally result in 
clashes with the “tunable” instruments, such as the clarinets, trumpets, 
and, yes, my own double bass (which I also tune pure). Of course I can more 
easily adjust to those around me than the harp can.

I happen to be the band's piano technician, as well as playing in the concert 
band. I can't count the number of times a clarinetist will tune their Bb with 
one of my pianos, and then are surprised that they are still out of tune with 
it. That's when I give the standard “the piano is tempered but you are not” 
lecture. Ah well. That's the way it goes sometimes. Working for Uncle Sam as 
a member of the military is never dull, fur shure.

Ray Irving