[CAUT] Steinway stretch (was Re: Steinway Verticals)

[Fred Sturm]

--On Saturday, December 4, 2004 6:23 PM -0500 Dorothy Bell 
<dabell58@earthlink.net> wrote:
> Actually, as a violinist, I would say "playing major thirds and sixths as
> they are meant to be, without beats" -- but then the vibrato goes and
> messes everything up beatwise, so I don't know. But you're absolutely
> right, playing with a pianist means that everything has to be played "out
> of tune" for a string player. No more narrowing of the half-step just
> below the tonic note of the key (i.e., narrowing B3-C4 when in the key of
> C major). Piano tuning by ET is a whole different way of looking at music.
>
> Best wishes,
> Dorrie Bell

Hi Dorrie,
	Thanks for the feedback. I agree with you in liking real thirds. Wind 
players have vibrato that is far less pitch varying. Hence they are the 
ones who really have the problem playing with the piano. It is a shame that 
so few piano tuners have much contact with musicians who play instruments 
other than piano - it might open their minds and ears a wee bit. We tend to 
be rather isolated in our own little world, and don't communicate nearly 
enough outside it.
	We have a brand new RPT in our chapter who is principal bass with the New 
Mexico Symphony, which has helped us have some interesting discussions (he 
asks some of those obvious, hard questions: Why do you do it this way?) 
Whatever the "authorities" (whoever they may be) may say, tuning is a 
problem that has never been solved.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico