how high(low) do you go?

[Kent Swafford]

on 11/28/00 5:50 PM, bases-loaded@juno.com at bases-loaded@juno.com wrote:

> Which brings up the following query...
> 
> How high are you willing to tune a piano, when circumstances require it?
> A-442 would be about 8 cents high, right?  I assume you would go there?
> Would you go 10 cents?  15?

A few years ago I was called to tune for a violin and piano duo. The piano
was a brand new custom-case Bosendorfer on loan from the local dealer, a
$150,000 piano. Time was very limited; I measured the pitch, horrified to
find that the lowest I was going to be able to get the piano in one pass was
A=444. The performers loved it.

Two weeks ago I was called to tune for the same violin and piano duo. I
arrived as they were finishing their final rehearsal. The violinist told me
-- twice -- that the A was fine. Red flags went up; I wondered to myself how
sharp it was going to be. I measured the A at 444.

The pitch that caused me so much worry years ago was just fine with the
violinist, and he was telling me, translated, "Don't you dare lower the
pitch of the piano."

The overall pitch of the piano was closer to A=443 so that was where I tuned
it. They loved it.

Kent Swafford