Aural?

[Farrell]

Thank you for your clear response. I see I have another door to go through
with many new adventures on the other side. I have not used such an approach
with the SAT. Thank you for making me aware of it. I will have to study up!

Terry Farrell
Piano Tuning & Service
Tampa, Florida
mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com

----- Original Message -----
From: <Billbrpt@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, September 29, 2000 10:09 PM
Subject: Re: Aural?


> In a message dated 9/29/00 8:27:18 PM Central Daylight Time,
> mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com (Farrell) writes:
>
> << I am interested in understanding your use of the Sanderson AccuTuner.
Your
>  approach appears unique.
>
>  > I have no need at all for the FAC type calculation.  I, in fact don't
even
>  > know how to do it and don't even want to learn.  To me, it is useless.
>  *I*
>  > and *I* alone determine the intervals and the stretch.
>  >  I still do the wound
>  > strings on most pianos entirely by ear and when I reach the 7th octave
on
>  > many pianos, I stop looking at the SAT.
>
>  You apparently use a SAT.  But you do not use FAC numbers. That's
amazing. I
>  do not understand how to operate the SAT without inputting FAC numbers to
>  calculate a tuning (and then modifying the calculated tuning to your
>  taste/preference by manipulation of the FAC number or the Double Octave
Beat
>  feature on the SAT III). Could you please explain your procedure. I am
>  always interested how to better use this valuable tool. Thanks
>   >>
>
> It's not so amazing at all.  There are two other modes in which you can
use
> the SAT.  They are found right in the manual:  The Program Mode and the
> Direct Interval Mode.  As you know, I do not tune Equal Temperament (ET)
but
> it can also be done this way.  Rick Baldassin RPT and Jim Coleman RPT have
> done a lot of work in this area.  Some of their work is included in the
> manual and Rick's publication is available from the PTG Home Office. The
> title is, "On Pitch".
>
> If you have done an aural tuning with which you are really pleased, you
can
> record it into the SAT and use it over and over.  This is particularly
useful
> when tuning institutional pianos.  Once you are satisfied with a tuning,
why
> not keep it and reproduce it easily, over and over?  You can create a
> programmed tuning by starting with your A4 at 0.0, then, as you perfect
each
> part of it, the temperament octave, the midrange, etc., record those
values
> as you go.  Even if your tuning shifts in pitch on you as you go, you can
> correct it until it holds on to what you have determined to be correct.
>
> I once tuned the Thomas Young #1 temperament for Owen Jorgensen RPT, for a
> recital at the Annual Convention.  I am not really familiar with this
> temperament, so he told me at each step how to tune the next note.  Once
each
> note was tuned, it was entered into memory.  Once he was satisfied that
the
> temperament was correct, I could tune the octaves the way he specified,
with
> "optimum stretch".  If any part of the tuning drifted during the work, I
> could correct it until it held upt to firm test blows.
>
> This can be a way of studying and tuning HT's that does not use the FAC
> program.  Follow the directions and once you are satisfied that the
> temperament sounds the way it is supposed to, record it and you have it
for
> all time, for that kind of piano.
>
> The other way, by Direct Interval, you tune intervals and octave exactly
as
> you have decided to do.  If you want to tune a pure 5th, for example, you
> choose the set of coincident partials you want to match.  When both notes
> stop the lights, you have your interval and you can enter the note to be
> tuned into memory.  You can also make a compromise between two sets of
> coincident partials.  The lights will move as sharp for one set and flat
for
> the other.  When you get them to move equally in opposite directions, you
> have a perfect (dare I say, Meantone) or Equal Beating compromise between
the
> two.
>
> This is the way I tune my octaves from F5 to C8.  I compare the double
octave
> and the octave and 5th.  When the lights move slightly but equally and in
> opposite directions for both comparisons, the desired compromise has been
> made.  The very same compromise can be made aurally.  When that exact
> compromise has been made, you can enter it into the programmed tuning
mode.
>
> The Direct Interval mode can be used for ET or any temperament.  If you
want
> a 3rd to be 14 cents wide as in ET, you can make it that way, exactly.  If
> you want it pure or 1, 2 or 3 cents or any amount wide for an HT you can
do
> that too.  You can make a 1/7 Comma Meantone Temperament (in which the
5ths
> are theoretically 3.07 cents narrow) but adjust those 5ths for
inharmonicity
> to 2.9, 2.8 or 2.7 cents the way I have learned to do.
>
> I feel much more in command and control if I have constructed the
temperament
> interval by interval and have determined exactly what my octave stretch is
to
> be and programmed the SAT to produce it rather than hoping that the
> calculation is correct.
>
> Bill Bremmer RPT
> Madison, Wisconsin
>