A 435 or A 440 ?

[David Nereson]

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org]On
Behalf Of Ric Brekne
Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2006 10:51 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: A 435 or A 440 ?

Of course the major mismalfunctionary type problem with the whole
absolute pitch concept is that there are no absolute tones or sets of
tones in the physical world which correspond to it.  One is left asking
the question.... Absolute in relation to what ?.... Grin... Absolute
relativity I guess... or perhaps relative-absoluteness...

Cheers
RicB

Exactly.  A4 is has been 440 Hertz only for the last 100 years at the very
most.  And not universally.  It has been 425, 430, 435, and a jillion
other "standards."  There was probably a time when "A" was what we now
call "A flat" or somewhere in between.  "Absolute" and "perfect" are the
wrong terms to use.  "Excellent pitch recognition" or something similar
would be better.  I liken it to the ability, or lack thereof, to be able
to make two marks on a piece of paper exactly an inch (or a centimeter or
a foot) apart.  Some machinists, draftspersons, and carpenters might be
very very close almost every time.  But they'll never be perfectly "dead
on" every time.  Heck, the pencil lead is at least 1/32" inch wide.  And
the human voice, when someone is asked to hum a certain pitch, never stays
perfectly on that pitch - it wavers up and down a bit.  We're just not
perfect.
        --David Nereson, RPT