Sweet Sound

[Don]

Hi Newton et al,

I guess first we have to define the word *sweet*. I originally took it to
mean *a very pleasant* sound. Newton is taking the *tack* that the *biggest*
sonority is a *sweet* sound. I do tune quite differently for a Concert hall
than in a private home. But I prefer the lower sonority of my *sweet* tuning
for homes. This also extends to voicing, and clearly we all have *different*
ideas about tone color! My favorite example for clients is that I dislike
cherry pie. It doesn't mean cherry pie is *bad*--just that it is *not* to my
particular taste!



At 11:43 AM 6/24/98 -0400, you wrote:
>Leaving aside the issues of temperament and unisons the remaining issue
>is octaves and in tuning octaves on a piano there is indeed a "sweet
>spot".
>
>It is initially noticable in the lower (bot  not lowest) where an octave
>acquires a larger tone than at any other point of expansion.  Another
>place to learn to listen for this "power point" is tuning octaves up
>from the temperament octave around C5 or so.
>
>It requires delicate and precise control of the stretch of the octave so
>find this one single point.  Every piano and every octave has this
>unique "sweet spot", "power point" that once one learns what to listen
>for can be found and then one searches for it during each tuning.
>
>On a decently scaled instrument this will almost inevitably lead one to
>stack two, three and sometimes four octaves with not beats.
>
>I believe this type of tuning lends itself to the most power the piano
>can generate.
>
>Compared to the SAT FAC tunings I like to strecht my 4th 5th and 6th
>octaves a little more and my 7th octave less to attain this tuning.  The
>bass is just about right only needing a compensation for uneven scaling.
>
>I describe this as introducing an expanded beat into the octave that is
>so long it does not produce a discernable beat but has and maintains the
>rising charactoristic of a beat..
>
>                            Newton
>
>
>
Regards,
Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.M.T., R.P.T.
"Tuner for the Centre of the Arts"
drose@dlcwest.com
http://www.dlcwest.com/~drose/
3004 Grant Rd.
REGINA, SK
S4S 5G7
306-352-3620 or 1-888-29t-uner