C fork/A fork

[Richard Brekne]

"Kevin E. Ramsey" wrote:

>     Tommy, so you're using a C fork, huh? Well, you're probably a good
> enough tuner to get A right on. It's just that for the last, I don't
> know, twenty years maybe, people have been trained using an A fork. I
> say, if you feel comfortable with a C fork, and are a good enough
> tuner, who cares?    After checking some less accomplished tuner's
> work in my area, and after having a pretty hard day of it, I'm
> inclined to just say "Hey, at least he's using a fork."    Last thing
> of the day, had to do an on-site for the Motorola Jazz Festival here
> in Phoenix. Well, it's Chandler, but how many of you are going to know
> where that is? Anyway, they had the Yamaha CFS III in a tent at the
> San Marcos Hotel. Got there and the sound check is going on and on and
> on. Natch.  Finally I shooed them off. I got them to turn the little
> ceiling fans that were directly over the piano off, but while I was
> tuning I noticed this bass humming sound coming from the AC thing that
> they had rigged up. It was really pretty funny tuning into the bass
> with this sub-sonic beat going on. I actually got to one note, I think
> it was D#1, and it had about a four beat per second thing going on
> there, so I tuned the unison to four beats, and listened to it,
> sounded pretty good. That got me to thinking; ( I know, a dangerous
> pastime) and I don't think I've had one on-site which was quiet in the
> last year.  Kevin E. Ramsey
> ramsey@extremezone.com
>
>      ----- Original Message -----
>      From: Bigeartb@aol.com
>      To: pianotech@ptg.org
>      Sent: Saturday, April 27, 2002 12:29 PM
>      Subject: Re: C fork/A fork
>       Ya'll:
>           Now I'm real confused. Can I use my "C" fork or is it
>      "illegal". I'm
>      still using the same "C" fork that set the pitch for
>      concerts and recording
>      sessions for Ray Charles, Count Basie and  numerous other
>      artist. I hope they
>      don't find out that I tuned their piano with an unacceptable
>      , illegal fork.
>      Well, the Count isn't  with us any more
>      but the others might hear.
>           I know....we're debating and splitting "frog hair" and
>      I'm just playing
>      with ya'll.....but I still plan to continue to use my "C"
>      fork give or take
>      whatever mathematical difference . Am I tuning A at
>      .....440.000000009 or
>      what?
>

Tell you what Tommy... pick yourself up an A fork and make sure its
calibrated right... then tune as usual with your C fork and when you are
done with your temperament check A with the fork... or better yet bet
ahold of TuneLab and you can get a pretty exact readout of your pitch at
A.  Just how big that frog hair is can vary a bit.


>
>      Tommy Black
>      Decatur, Ala.
>




--
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
Bergen, Norway
mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html