pianotech-digest V2002 #89

[Dan M. Hallett, Jr.]

Subject: Pitch


All,
A comment was made, "I can see no justification for raising the pitch....."
I will give ONE very strong reason: EAR TRAINING. If some continue to leave
pianos "where they are", etc, for little Johnny to practice on, we will
never get rid of the horrible phenomenon of "Tin Ears". Please consider
this. Music is to be loved, enjoyed and to ease our day to day stresses.
IMHO any piano that is out of tune or not at proper pitch does none of that.
Respectfully,
Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon)

*******************************
Joe, I have to agree with you on ear training. I've been around too many
amateur singers in choir and Barbershop Chorus venues who immediately know
if the song is pitched correctly to not leave the instrument at 440. They do
not have 'perfect pitch'. I don't want to leave an instrument below pitch
that has the possibility of being used by an individual to learn a song.
That is isn't taking into account the inability of a 'below pitch'
instrument to be used with other instruments built to that pitch. I also
find that guitarists use the piano, if one is available, as a reference
pitch for tuning. This is probably poorly worded but I think one would get
my drift.
Dan Hallett