FWD: Sharp organ

[Ralph & Frances Thorn]

As one who regularly tunes pianos to organs, and has been known to
tune organs also, establishing a relationship with the organ tuner is
important.  Rarely is a new organ tuned 'sharp' at standard
temperature, but the temperature when tuned is very critical.  Organs
will rise in pitch with temperature (there is a formula, mentioned in
The Journal, May 1978), so organ tuners request that the room be at
"normal room temperature" for 24 hours before the organ is tuned, in
order that all components are at the same temperature.  More often we
find historical tunings used in new instruments, particularly baroque
style organs, but I believe the pitch standard is still 440.  There
are instruments tuned to other historical pitchs, but they're pretty
obvious.

You should also know that organ tuners will do the least amount of
work possible to attain a suitable tuning, and try to avoid setting a
temperment unless really necessary.  My guess is that your example is
either a case of a cold tuning, or sloppy work.

When matching pitch with an organ, turn on just one stop - a 4'
Principal (or diapason, or Octave, or Praestant, but definitely a 4',
and NOT a flute) on the Great keyboard, which if the organ has two
manual keyboards is the lowest, if it has three or more is usually the
second from the lowest.  Make sure the Tremulant(s) is Off.  Check the
temperment to see what you've got, then check that stop against a
couple of others on the same keyboard, then check that against stops
on other keyboards just to see if the organ is really in tune, and
therefore just where should you set your A.  All things being normal,
use the 4' Principal as your point of reference.  This stop is the one
used by pipe organ tuners as their point of reference.  Sounds
complicated, but once you've done this checking a few times it just
takes seconds to form an opinion.  Of course, octaves on organs are
dead octaves, but that's another problem!

Ralph Thorn