'C' fork users only (inferior 'A' fork users need not apply)

thepianoarts thepianoarts@home.com
Mon, 05 Mar 2001 23:44:20 -0500


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Dave,

 For clairty, would you summarize your temperment pattern, without checks,
after you have set the fork into the piano, and established the octave with?

For example:

>From C-3 - up  3 - Mj. contigious thirds to C-4

>From C-4, down a fifth to C#-3

Etc.


Also, you you list what checks do you commonly use for setting your
temperment? I am asking, because personally I am slow to introduce new
checks into my work, as I am a creature of habit, and hope to learn how
others have refined their temperments.
     Not too long ago I started using the lovely and useful check for a
forth: that is  comparing the beat rates of the 3 rd. below the bottom note
(Mj 3rd.) to the 6 made to the top note of the 4th.  As you know, this test
reveals a much more 'countable' difference, compared to 'just' the plain
forth. 


Dan Reed

Dallas chapter



on 3/5/01 8:42 PM, Dave Nereson at dnereson@dimensional.com wrote:

 
----- Original Message -----
From: thepianoarts <mailto:thepianoarts@home.com>
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2001 3:11 PM
Subject: 'C' fork users only (inferior 'A' fork users need not apply)



Just kidding you overly sensitive 'A' fork users!

Any "C" fork users care to exchange temperment checks and patterns etc?  I
have been trying to evolve the 'Up three thirds, down a fifth, up two
thirds" etc. temperment taught from the Aubrey Willis course 25 years ago.
Anyone on the list using this pattern? BTW, after 25 years with the fork, I
moved to the Sanderson Accu-fork. It has some advantages. Their beat-rater
is also a nice tool for checking contigious thirds.

Dan Reed
Dallas chapter

When I first learned to tune, we were taught a C to C temperament that
started with a C fork at 523.3 Hz.  The drawback to this one is that it's
across the bass/treble break in many spinets and consoles, but the beat
rates are a bit slower than an F-F temperament and might be easier to hear
and count for beginners.  It goes thusly:

1.  Tune middle C (C4) to fork (523.3 Hz), beatless.
2.  Tune C3 to middle C.  Tune the A flat below C3 to get a countable
reference beat, then use the 3rd - 10th         octave check (3rd slightly
slower than the 10th).  You can also tune E flat 3 to a countable rate and
use         the 3rd - 6th octave check (both intervals should beat about the
same rate).  
3.  Tune E3 to C3 a bit faster than 5 bps (beats per second) --
"Minneapolis" pronounced slowly, as to a             child or non-English
speaker.
4.  Tune G#3 to E3 about 7 bps -- "from Chicago to New York", pronounced
fairly quickly, as a New Yorker         might.  Or maybe "I don' wanna gohda
bed", as pronounced by a recalcitrant tot, knowing s/he's gonna         miss
Star Trek.
5.  Check G#3 (A flat) to middle C.  Should be about 9 bps.  (It's real hard
for me to call G# to C a Major 3rd         when it's really a diminished
4th).  Make corrections to get 3 contiguous Major 3rds at 5:4 ratios, or
about a 5-7-9 bps ratio.  (I never could distinguish smaller than about a
half beat per second, so I'm not         using decimal parts of a beat per
second, such as 5.2 or 7.1 bps).
6.  Tune C#3 to G#3 (down a 5th) slightly narrow of pure, by 3 beats in 5
seconds.  I know, this is hard to             count, but just see that the
5th beats slower than once per second, but not so long as two seconds to
beat once; then check that C# to E is a beat per second faster than E to G#.
7.  Tune F3 to middle C (down a 5th).  Check the 4th with C3.  Should be
wide by a beat per second or so.          Check the Major 3rd  Dflat (C#3)
to F3.  Should be about 5.5 bps, or 1/2 bps faster than the C-E third.
Check the thirds F to A flat and A flat to middle C.  The former should be
about 1 bps faster than                     the latter, or about 9 bps and
10 bps, respectively.
8.  Tune A3 to E3 (up a 4th), wide by 1 bps.  Check the two thirds F-A and
E-G#.  F-A should be about 7.5             bps, or 1/2 bps faster than the
E-G#.  Check the 3rd, C-E vs. the 6th, C3 - A.  The 3rd should be about
1 bps slower than the 6th (5 bps for the 3rd and 6 bps for the 6th).
9.  Tune D3 to A3 (down a 5th), narrow by 3 beats in 5 sec.  Check D-F and
F-A.  D-F should be faster by             about 1 bps. or 7 1/2 bps for F-A
and 8 1/2 bps for D-F.  Check the minor thirds C#3 to E3 and D to F.
Should be 8 and 8 1/2 bps, respectively.
10. Tune F#3 to C#3 (up a 4th), wide by 1 bps.  Check the Major third D to
F# (6 bps) vs. D flat to F (5 1/2                 bps).
11. Tune B flat 3 (A#) to F3 (up a 4th).  Check F-A vs. F#-A#.  The latter
should be faster by 1/2                             bps.   Check D flat to F
vs. D flat to B flat.  The 6th should be faster by 1 bps.  Check the
chromatic 6ths         C-A and C#-A#.  The second one should be faster than
the first by 1/2 bps.
12. Tune D#3 to A#3 (E flat to B flat), down a 5th, narrow by 3 beats in 5
seconds.  Check D#-F# vs. F#-                A#.  The latter should be 1 bps
slower than the  former.  Check the 4th D#-G#.  Should beat wide by 1
bps.
13. Tune G3 to middle C (down a 4th), wide by 1 bps.  Check E flat to G and
E flat to middle C.  The 6th                 should be a beat per second
faster than the 3rd.   And check the 3rds D-F# and E flat to G.  Should
increase by 1/2 bps going up chromatically, or 6 and 6 1/2 bps.
14. Tune B3 to F#3 (up a 4th), wide by 1 bps.    G to B should beat about 8
1/2 bps.  Check D to F# and D         to B.  The 6th should be a beat faster
than the 3rd.  Check the 5th E to B.  Should be narrow by 3 beats         in
5 seconds.  Admittedly, this is hard to count with any 5th, so check E-G and
G-B.  The minor third             should be 1 bps faster than the Major, or
about 9 1/2 and 8 1/2 bps, respectively.  Check chromatic
thirds F#-A#, G-B, and A flat to C -- they should increase  by 1/2 bps each.
Check chromatic sixths C-        A, C#-A#, D-B, and E flat - C.  They should
also increase by 1/2 bps each.

       Then go back and check everything:  5ths, 4ths, Major 3rds, Major
6ths, minor 3rds, and make small corrections to smooth things out.  None of
these beat rates are absolute, and will vary slightly from piano to piano,
but I feel it's a good temperament for learning, keeping in mind that it's
easier on larger pianos, where you're not setting the temperament in the
bass/treble break area.  Sincerely, David Nereson, RPT, Denver




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