A-440 Policy?

[Richard Moody]

----- Original Message -----
From: Mitch Staples <staples.13@osu.edu>
To: <caut@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2000 2:29 PM
Subject: Re: A-440 Policy?


> At 10:04 PM 10/30/00 -0600, you wrote:
> >
> >
> >.  I would push for a policy of A-440 only, accept we have a Taiwanese
> >> percussion student with a marimba tuned at A-442.
> >>
> >> Mitch
> >
> >And I thought the 442 marimba was so tuned  because it sounded better
with
> >the piano with sharp partials
>
> Richard,
>
> I was not aware of this practice of tuning an instrument to a higher pitch
> so it will sound better with a piano.  This particular instrument was
built
> to be played in an ensemble tuned at A-442.  Do you think there are other
> instruments that are made to be tuned at A-442 but played with instruments
> tuned at A-440?
>
> Mitch

I should have posted this as a question.
I thought I heard or read somewhere that marimbas sounding in tune ended up
sharp when measured by machines.  They weren't made to be sharp but that is
what machines discovered.  That glockenspeils and xylophones were either
sharp sounding in tune,  or had to be tuned sharp to sound better with  the
ensemble.   That the marimba was tuned (measured) sharp to sound better with
a piano may have been an issue with automated instruments like the band
organ or nickelodian.   So does any of this   ring a bell   with anyone
else? ---ric