Explaining Pitch vs Tone

[Mike Kurta]

    Hi Terry:
    Try this:  Play middle C on the piano.  Ask the customer to hum in tune
with the note as its played.  Then you take a turn at humming along with the
note.  At that point it might make sense to the lady that though both of you
hummed the same note, your voices are different.  You've demonstrated the
difference between tone and pitch.  Maybe not.  .  Maybe a trip to the local
piano dealer would be worthwhile.  That way she may be able to hear the
various tones different pianos make playing the same note.  Perhaps not.
Your client may be that one-in-a-thousand person who needs special handling.
Your last fix on the post might make the most sense, although her ears may
become accustomed to what you have just done.  Mike Kurta, RPT
----- Original Message -----
From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, June 22, 2002 6:13 AM
Subject: Explaining Pitch vs Tone


> I had a call-back yesterday on a 1970s Baldwin console that I pitch-raised
50 cents and tuned about two months ago. The lady said that the piano
sounded brassy and harsh. Well, yes, of course it did - it's a 1970s Baldwin
console! But she also said that it sounded fine before I tuned it! She then
said: "when you were here tuning last time you said that you also raised
something - is that why it sounds brassy?"
>
> I then tried to explain that I raised the pitch of the piano, but did not
directly do anything to the piano tone. I also told her that raising the
pitch will definitely cause an audible tone difference in the bass strings,
but not so much that most folks notice in the plain wire sections (although,
I guess it likely does make it a bit brighter). I told her that this is what
likely has caused what she has noticed.
>
> Then she asked me to put it back to where it was! YIKES! I then tried to
explain the difference between pitch and tone. Her eyes started to glass
over. I tried the automobile thing - "you like the nice soft ride you get
when all four tires are low on air - but you really want to put the proper
air pressure in for a variety of reasons - if you then don't like the ride
you may want new shocks or something." Didn't get real far with that.
>
> I tried the tone control on a stereo thing. Did a little better with that,
but she still did not have a clue of the difference between tone and pitch.
>
> Then I asked to let me voice a small section and she how she feels about
that. I steamed an octave in the tenor and she like it. I did all the
hammers and she liked it. As I was leaving she said: "and next time, you
will tune it back the way it was?"
>
> Oh, Good Grief! I think what I will do next time is tune it properly and
just hit it with a little steam if it needs it.
>
> Any good ideas on how to explain tone and pitch??? Thanks.
>
> Terry Farrell
>
>