A 435 or A 440 ?

[David Love]

Each person's sensitivity will vary.  Pitch sensitivity even among those
without "perfect pitch" is not uncommon, however.   Violinists and woodwind
players can often tell when tuning to a piano if the piano is sharp or flat
because of how their own instrument sounds.  

 

David Love
davidlovepianos at comcast.net
www.davidlovepianos.com 

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Byron Quam
Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2006 8:59 AM
To: 'Pianotech List'
Subject: RE: A 435 or A 440 ?

 

I really question the concept of perfect pitch. Most people that claim that
they or other family members have this trait are not accurate. What
percentage of these people would be able to distinguish between two freshly
tuned, similar pianos one at 440 and the other at 443. Especially if they
would hear each after a period of time where they wouldn't have a fresh
reference in their head.

 

Byron

-----Original Message-----
From: David Ilvedson [mailto:ilvey at sbcglobal.net] 
Sent: July 26, 2006 7:57 AM
To: dnereson at 4dv.net; pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: RE: A 435 or A 440 ?

5 beats per second?...if 442 is about 8 cents sharp, 438 would be about 8
cents flat and 435 getting close to 20 cents flat...that seems like a pretty
hefty difference...I'd think it was noticeable to a 440 perfect pitcher...

David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA 94044




  _____  


Original message
From: "David Nereson" 
To: "Pianotech List" 
Received: 7/25/2006 11:43:15 PM
Subject: RE: A 435 or A 440 ?

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org]On Behalf
Of Jack Houweling
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2006 11:01 PM
To: pianotech
Subject: A 435 or A 440 ?

 

Hello

 

I am working on a Mason and Risch grand piano and the plate has a stamp that
says  " International Pitch A 435" .

 

Is it best to tune this piano to A 435 ?

 

The mother tells me the daughter has perfect pitch. She is away at school so
I cannot talk to her.  Would someone with perfect pitch be bothered by
anything other than A 440? 

 

Jack Houweling

 

 

Nobody has PERFECT pitch.  Some people have very good pitch recognition.
But to most of them, if you played A435 and asked them to tell you what note
it was, they would just say "A," not  "an A that's a bit flat."   At any
rate, the plate and frame can most likely handle having the pitch raised to
440.  You might check to see that the plate bolts are snug.  But yes, it was
designed to be at 435.  And 440 is only 5 beats per second sharp at A #49.
There are probably times during humid summers when it's way sharper than
that.    

          --David Nereson, RPT 

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