How Much Stretch ?

[Kevin E. Ramsey]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
    You know, Richard I had to think about this for a couple of days =
before I really wanted to even address the issue. I have my own tastes, =
I suppose, growing up on Beethoven, Chopin, a little Brahms etc. I just =
don't like overly stretched tunings. Sure, I'll do it once I know the =
customer is asking for it. Now, I'm not talking just about octave 7 =
here, as far as I am concerned, most people never play octaves that high =
and they're looking for something that MELODICALLY sounds right to them. =
I also start to drop the very lowest notes when appropriate, because =
they sound better when played as an arpeggio toward the lower note.=20
    What I'm talking about, really, is the size of the temperament. I =
just don't like an octave in the middle of the piano to have a =
noticeable beat to it. Sounds too busy to me. Other tuners (some) say =
that a 4/2 octave with an artificial 1.5 cent stretch added to it sounds =
"dead". I know one Concert Tuner here in Phoenix who tunes his =
temperament with a noticeable beat in the octave. Sorry, don't like it.=20
    What I like to do, and most people really like it ( but that could =
be because of stability and clean unisons for all I know)  is this;  I =
tune the temperament with a little added stretch beyond 4/2, about 1.5 =
cents. That's from F3 to A4, narrowing off at A4 to an almost pure 4/2.  =
>From C/5 to E/5 I'm tuning a pure 4/2, checking that my double octaves =
don't have an obvious beat. ( I usually tune down to the break after the =
temperament, checking all intervals as I go.) When I get to F5, I start =
tuning between a clean octave and a perfect 12th. From C6 up I usually =
do a pure double octave with maybe a cent or two of additional stretch. =
In the past I just tuned double octaves the rest of the way, but I am =
ready to concede that perhaps I should not worry about the harmonic =
relationships up there, and instead concentrate on the melodic aspect of =
human hearing. I think the top octave could end up being a moot point, I =
guess. So, where you end up may not be as important as what the main =
portion of the tuning is, anyway.=20
    All I know, is that the piano sounds good to me when I hear it =
played, have never ever had a complaint, and I have never even heard =
third hand that anyone thought my tunings sounded "flat" or "dead" when =
played in performance.=20

    If I tune pure double octaves as described above, I hardly ever get =
above 45 cents at C8. =20


Look, here's a test; when you're done play four octaves at the same time =
toward the top of the keyboard. Do they all sound solid? Do they all =
sound pretty much the same? Hey, they should! If so, you've done your =
job well, in my opinion, at least. ( except going into the area of E7, =
you'll start to hear it, if you really start stretching like I said.)
  Subject: How Much Stretch ?


  List=20

  On the side of the other threads... I have a question I
  would appreciate some feedback on. Often when using ETDs
  that calculate tuning curves based on inharmonicity samples,
  I find that the resulting tuning curve shows the highest
  notes up in the +40 to +45 cents (sometimes even higher)
  range.=20

  This seems reallly high to me, and I wonder if you all
  accept this degree of treble stretch, or you modify things.=20

  My fooling around with the 12ths tuning revealed real quick
  that the 3rd partial of F6 almost never gets above +35
  cents.... and this F6's coincident to C8's fundemental.
  Seems like a pretty natural place to stop... or what ?

  Curious as usual :)

  RicB

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/85/ef/cd/55/attachment.htm

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--