Tuning

[DGPEAKE@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 98-10-16 03:39:28 EDT, you write:

<< 
 	I have only been tuning for a short time, and during this time have always
 used a temperament based on 4th's and 5th's that is primarily checked with
 3rd's and 6th's.  I have been told that the quality of my tuning will be
 greatly improved when I get a better sense of how fast the 3rd's and 6th's
are
 beating and start concentrating on setting the "pivotal tones".  Is there a
 trick to comparing the fast beating thirds (or sixth's for that matter)?
 
 Jonathan Hoover
 
 F3 and A3 played together is usually around 7 beats/second.  I learned to
hear it by using the second hand of my watch, tap 4 beats/sec, double it, then
back of a tad for 7 beats.  Then gradually speed up ascendings thirds. F3 to
D4 sixths are around 8 beats per second and easily compared to G3-B3 thirds.
I do not count beats in 4ths and 5ths.  As long as they are fairly clean and
not wild, and as long as you have good ascending and descending 3rds and 6ths,
you should have a good temperament.

Hope this helps.

Dave Peake, RPT
Portland, OR