Randy Potter School Students and Alumni

Newton Hunt nhunt@optonline.net
Thu, 15 Mar 2001 11:46:09 -0500


If you play what your address says then you have not had to listen to
beats so much.  

When you listen to music, or play with a group, listen to major
thirds, major tenths and sixths.  These produce beats that are fast
enough to hear and discern more easily in the mid range of a piano. 
Use this to practice listening.  When you can actually hear them you
are well along to controlling them.

The tones of a piano have a slightly different harmonic structure than
open pipe instruments in that pianos have a harmonic an octave lower
than open pipes (trumpet, tuba and such) so the structure is 

C1	note
C2	octave higher
G2	a fifth above that
C3	Second octave
E3	A third above 
G3	A second above
Bb3	A second above
C4	Third octave

When you play two notes together somewhere there will be two harmonics
that coincide with the same pitch (almost) that produce the beat. 
Example: F3 played with C4 produce a beat at C5 _and_ C6.  The beat at
C6 is easier to hear because it is faster but you need to learn to
ignore that and listen only to the ones at C4.  A beat at about 1/2
beat per second or slower but not perfectly pure.

Another example is F3 with A3 produces a beat at A5 in the
neighborhood of 7 beat per second.

Knowing where the beats are produced can help you listen at that
pitch.  ALso if you old the lower two notes down with no sound and
strike the coincidental harmonic you will be able to hear the beat a
little clearer.

Now, harmonics are not harmonic in a piano, they are inharmonic (not
enharmonic) so we don't usually call them harmonics but partials, each
a part of the whole.  There are other reasons you will learn as time
goes along having to do with names.

Learn to listen the rest is easier.

		Newton


This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC