Aural Pure 5ths Equal Temperament

[Brent.Fischer@asu.edu]

Dear Jim,

   Responding to your post or any post in a timely manner is
almost next to impossible for me, so please forgive me.  Now
that school is over and the mountain bike race season is done
I hope to have a chance to read some mail. It will sure be a
welcome change to going over the handle bars and faceplants in
the dirt.

    I certainly appreciate and am humbled by your reference to me in
your article. Of course I am one of those who has been advocating
this stretch to the limit tuning style since a few years ago and
truly the acknowledgement goes to Franz Mohr and the techs at Steinway
Hall for coaching me on this at that time. There is a limit on how fast
a fourth should be allowed to beat and on concert grands I have generally
found it to all work out within reason, however the tuning I just completed
this morning re-confirmed a critical area on the Steinway "D" exists
between notes #67 and #76.  In my opinion, the speed of the 17ths thru this
range will make or break the difference between an exciting and brilliant
top end or a sound that becomes edgy and brittle. Just being a hair too
fast is worse to me than slightly slower than ideal. Can you really
dial this in now with the SAT?  I know we have had this discussion
in the past and being the diehard you know I am it may be time to
"show me the money" again.

   As accurate as the machine is you will have to just set me down and
prove that it can not only measure frecuency but also perceive and
anticipate beat relationships which is the level of tuning I think
goes beyond the SAT. If for no other reason I think the art of tuning
cannot be completely measured, absolutely very closely measured, just
not completely. I guess I will never understand why technicians are
not driven to exercise their minds with the challenges that tuning
by ear requires. But wait, you also know that I am buying an SAT for
the department as soon as possible.  The three advantages I do not
aurally possess are accurate pitch corrections, the ability to tune
two instruments together, and confidence with pitch perception on
notes #86, 87, and 88.

  Thanks again for your worthy contributions to the list. Those out
there in the earlier stages of their tuning careers should feel
quite lucky you are sharing so much of your time with us.  Brent

====
Brent Fischer, Piano Technician
School of Music, Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona 85287-0405
602/965-6760 FAX 602/965-2659 Msg 602/965-3371
http://www.asu.edu/cfa/music/