Glenn and list; Tuning pianos and organs together is rather like mixing olive oil and water, i.e. it is something that you can 'almost' do but never 'quite' do. We used to be the Rodgers dealer (currently the Allen dealer, figure that one out !) The Rodgers had combination packages of mixed pipe and electronic voices and resulted in some nice sounding installations for us. The process of tuning to a combination arrangement, or any organ, is strictly one of education, it starts the moment the first sound comes out of the new $000000 organ and continues unabated until you no longer have that customer, for however long that might be, years and years hopefully. The process involves all of the congregation as well as those involved with the music program of that church. The limitations of using pianos and organs, especially pipe organs, together must be explained over and over and.... well you get the idea. What do I do ? I try to tune the piano at 440. The electronic organs, for the most part, may be tuned up or down by the organist and the pipe organ will start changing its pitch, (in various chests and at various times and at varying speeds depending on pipe construction), as it is being played. To try and tune a piano to a pipe organ is rather like chasing Zyphers, it can be done but how do you hold it? But when everything is right and both instruments are used together the resulting sound is marvelous! Just my thoughts Jim Bryant (FL)
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