Grist for the Mill

[Farrell]

No, look at the entire course the pitch has taken over the two year period - 
add up all the plus and minus hertz values - the net is -1.7 Hz, or a little 
less than 7 cents in two years, that's just over 3 cents per year. At that 
rate, in 25 years this piano would be 85 cents flat. Keep in mind also that 
we don't know exactly how representative these two years might be for the 
next 23, and also, the pitch drop rate should slow down as tension on the 
strings decrease over time. So maybe somewhere between 50 and 85 cents flat 
over 25 years? Sounds like the ballpark I experience!

Even here in piano-friendly Florida modern homes, if someone opens the 
windows during a rainy spell for a few weeks and then cranks up the heat for 
a few weeks during a cold spell after that, sure, a piano in that 
environment would experience a significant pitch drop - probably more than 
the 10-12 cents you observed.

Terry Farrell

> At 21:32 5/11/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>>
>>Terry asks: Do you find pianos that have not been tuned for 10 years to be 
>>50 cents flat? I find that it takes more like 25 or 30 years (or more) to 
>>go 50 cents flat.
>
>
> Terry, you really do lead a charmed life.
>
> Steinway is an allegedly good make. Just for fun, I looked at the record 
> of an "L" that is in a practice room, and, if the student worker gets to 
> it when he/she should, has a functional D-C unit. (no black diaper, 
> however)
>
> I always tune to 440, since there are a bunch of other instruments which 
> use the piano for accompaniment.
>
> As found:
> 11/02 - 438
> 1/03  - 436.7
> 5/03  - 440.2
> 8/03  - 442.7
> 10/03 - 438.5
> 1/04  - 436.7
> 4/04  - 436.9
> 6/04  - 441.8
> 8/04  - 442.5
> 11/04 - 439
>
> (The pitch raise mode on my RCT gets a LOT of use.)
>
> This is only a _TWO_ year cycle. AND... there is at least an _attempt_ at 
> humidity control.  It only took 2 MONTHS to go 10-12¢ flat. I suspect that 
> 25-30 years would find this one 200-300¢ flat.
>
>
>
>
> Conrad Hoffsommer
> Hyperpolysyllabicsesquipedalianist abecedarian-in-residence
> Decorah, IA
>
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