Piano 'detuning'

[Dave Doremus]

<Ed foote wrote>

 There are a lot of instruments that take advantage of the choral effect
>by "detuned" unisons.  I play a hurdy gurdy, and its twin chanterelles sound
>much better if I break the unison by about 8 cents, ( always lowering one
>from its harmony pitch).
>   The out of tune unison has a presence that a Just one doesn't, and it is
>not without its beauty,

Apropos of this I spent some time a few years back talking to a gamelan
group that had been brought in by the Indonesian consul. The intsruments
were very carefully tuned so that all the unisons had a shimmery beat not
unlike the old fender tremolo effect. Just lovely, and I imagine very
difficult to achieve with such consistency. Beauty is in the ear of the
beholder.

Dave


-----------------------------
Dave Doremus RPT
Algiers Piano Works, Ltd

Restoration and Tuning of
Modern and Historical
Stringed Keyboard Instruments

New Orleans
algiers_piano@bellsouth.net
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