Listening "too much"?

Billbrpt@AOL.COM Billbrpt@AOL.COM
Sat, 1 Jul 2000 17:54:59 EDT


In a message dated 7/1/00 4:40:44 PM Central Daylight Time, 
charly_tuner@hotmail.com (Charly Tuner) writes:

<< Maybe it's because i didn't get much sleep last night, but for some weird 
 reason, this morning I noticed GLARING imperfections in unisons (on my own 
 piano) that were beatless the night before, and when i attempted to  touch 
 them up, I found myself, seemingly, hearing all kinds of inharmonicites and 
 false beats, no matter where i tested them! Then I muted all but one string 
 and STILL heard beats in almost ALL tri/bi chords! Coils were tight, strings 
 seated fine. Then I took a nap and when i woke up I immediately went to the 
 piano and sat down and listened again...it sounded fine! Could it be that my 
 hearing was compromised, or even "hyper" sensitive in my over-tired state? 
 Very strange indeed.
  >>

Was there by any chance, a ceiling fan going nearby when you noticed this 
weird beating?  If there was, it will cause the very effects you describe.  
Here, in Southern Wisconsin, it can get rather warm in the Summertime and 
sometimes I have to make the decision about whether to turn that fan off or 
benefit by its cooling effects and try to disregard the tremolo effect it has 
on piano tone.  I'll bet that ceiling fans are much more common and used more 
than airconditioning where you live.

If there was no fan, I don't have any explanation except that sometimes, when 
the body is under great stress, the senses do go a bit haywire.  All it 
usually takes to recover is rest, hydration and nourishment.

Regards,

Bill Bremmer RPT
Madison, Wisconsin


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