4:5 Ratio of Contiguous 3rds

[David Andersen]

>> White gives examples of two "7-8-9-10" series involving minor
>> 3rds, major 6ths and  major 3rds in succession which pretty much
>> locks in ET.  (p. 90--93)   ---ricm

Expand your frame of reference, guys.  What I'm saying, and have proved 
to myself without doubt over many years of high-end tuning, is that 
listening to, and basically tuning by, the fourths and fifths( and 
11-12ths, 18-19ths) in a patient way, is for me a more precise and more 
musical way to:
1) get to "where you wanta go" with the temperament i.e., all the various 
checks work out evenly, smoothly, "perfectly."
2) sound "even" and sweet, musically appealing, "balanced" in all keys.
3)  refine your listening skills, so that, eventually, any test you can 
apply is merely a confirmation of your ear's best advice.  In other 
words, you put any given note exactly where it "should" be according to 
any extant system of measurement or testing SOLELY by ear; the tests are 
a mere formality.  That's real skill, and tremendous faith in one's 
innate capacity to hear with dazzling subtety.

I learned from one of the "best" tuners in Atlanta, GA, in 1973.  He 
said, basically, to flat the fifths and sharp the fourths; that all 
fourths beat about the same, "between 1 and 2 bps, to ballpark it;" that 
A-D
and C-F could beat slightly faster, and that fifths should not "beat," 
but should just have a " VERY slow, pleasant roll  to 'em....." And gave 
me all the 3rd and 6th tests, and then 10ths and 17ths and so forth.
I heard the advancing 3rds and 6ths almost immediately and keyed into the 
skillset of getting 3rds and 6ths precise, which is a pretty darn good 
way of tuning.

It took me almost 25 years, and repeated exposures to Virgil Smith, to 
understand I had the key to the kingdom all along, and just didn't really 
trust it, or understand how amazingly precise and musical following the 
fourths can be.

In the treble my triple octaves are beatless on the sharp side; my 
quadruple octaves are beatless.
The treble soars and sings, because everything is lined up.  Virgil 
speaks of this phenomenon continually. In fact, he states in his fabulous 
little booklet on complete piano service that a solid, musical, natural 
tuning can and does make a huge difference in the player's perception of 
the instrument.  I have experienced this myself countless times.  I do a 
first tuning for a new client; he or she is a serious player (1-5 hours 
per day); when the player first listens and then plays the piano, many, 
many times the same thing is said:  "This piano FEELS great.  What'd you 
do?" 
Not SOUNDS great, but FEELS great.

A magnificent tuning has the potential to create a powerful 
psychoacoustic illusion in the player
regarding touch & tone. 

Talent in this realm, coupled with passion and dedication, along with 
challenging oneself by finding subtler, solider, and more musical ways of 
tuning, can almost guarantee magnificent tunings on a daily basis, 
usually in 1 1/2 hours, more for a concert tuning, but not much more.

Then, after the word gets around, you can literally name your price.

For an aural tuner, it all boils down to trusting your own body---your 
ears primarily, but every place else piano tone hits....it's a whole 
system....no doubt one of the most beautiful systems in the universe.

I encourage everyone to take advantage of the fabulous gift of their own 
ears.
I was sitting in front of a little lake this morning at dawn, way, way 
out in the boondocks in Santa Barbara county in Southern California.  
There were no other people visible or audible. No audible machine or 
electronic sounds
I immediately became aware of dozens of sound sources in a 360-degree 
"circle" around me.
Perfect stereo; amazing fidelity; subtle, rhythmic---"intelligent" and 
"beautiful" are two words that come to mind.  The more I focused my 
attention on the sounds around me, my thoughts receded to the background, 
and I was filled with pleasure.

This is my computer.  This is my EDT.  No logic train or pattern of 
numbers will ever begin to explain 
its ability to perceive.  IMHO.  It is the result of 6 million years of 
unimaginably complex and sophisticated evolution. I'm grateful to the 
mystery that provided it to me----every single day.

This list does rock, Tom Servinsky......thanks to all......

David Andersen
Malibu, CA