Sharp organ

[Jon Page]

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My problem was that the organ is tuned somewhere around 430.

They want to play the organ with the piano for a performance.
Themn they want to use the piano in accompaniment with hand bells at 440.
Then back with the organ, then back with the hand bells. I gave up that gig.

Then organ people tell them that they would have to make considerable 
alterations
in pipe lengths to alter "voicing".  I came in a few days after one of 
their 'tuning' and
was appalled, no amount of temperature or humidity fluctuation could 
account for
those dreadful intervals.  I pointed it out to their organist, but what do 
I know, I'm just a piano tuner.

I was present in another church when the tuning was being done. One guy on 
the console,
the other guy with a Conn pitch generator in the pipe chamber. No brain, no 
pain; I guess.
I mentioned about an SAT, RCT (all there was at the time) and received a 
blank stare.
Hearing protection would be my first priority in this situation.

I attempted to help an another organist by  'touching-up' the mix (little 
did I know what that was).
After finding it and tending to those little whistles I would never do it 
again without hearing protection.

I though piano tuners were nuts, these guys are really out there...

Regards,

Jon Page

At 05:13 PM 05/13/2001 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi Joe,
>             I did not intend to pick, as I know it's a perenial problem
>with churches.  Communication is key, with the music people, pipe organ
>tech, and piano tech.  Education has to go along with it.  other wise you
>end up with the he said, she said game. A lose, lose, scenerio. I have been
>in the middle of those kinds of things, and also part of the problem.  A
>little older and some what wiser.  I insist on having the 3 parties meet.
>So solutions can be found.  Many of the pipe organ techs will also lay down
>a different bearing  (temperament)  than our standard  ET. Flue Work for
>instance has a very strong fundamental and less harmonic development than
>the principal chorus. And both are quite different than piano strings, in
>any given register.
>Team work is the answer if it can be fostered.   Bare in mind, that much of
>the beauty of a pipe organ, is it's space, and out of tuneness.  Add reverb
>time into the mix, and the game gets thicker. The big 16ft pipes are
>usually a long way away from the piano.
>For me, get rid of the pianos in churches, and let us make a Joyful noise
>unto the Lord.  With a real pipe organ.  <G>
>Just some thoughts on the subject.
>Regards roger
>
>
>
>
>At 02:24 PM 5/13/01 -0700, you wrote:
> >Roger,
> >Since you bi-directed this posting at me, I'll respond.
> >I was not "after" the Organ Tech!, but his lack of analysis of this
> >particular church situation. If he had ascertained the ambient temp/hum that
> >the church is "normally" at and achieved that before the final tuning of the
> >organ, I think that the organ would have been a little closer to A=440. Part
> >of the equation hasn't been discussed. Where Jeannie is, is right on the
> >ocean. I suspect that while the organ tech was installing, etc.  the hall
> >was kept at a comfortable level for his benefit. Once he finished, the
> >church went back to it's normal habit of not heating or cooling. IMHO the
> >organ tech should have a long conversation with the powers that be, at the
> >church, and emphasize the importance of constant temp/Humid conditions.
> >There lies the problem. My original comment was too short.(for that I
> >apologize) The best thing is IMHO to get the organ tech to retune the whole
> >enchilada while the church is in it's normal temp/humid mode. Then, at least
> >Jeannie won't have to tune the piano 12-15cents sharp and possibly more. If
> >the organ "floats" a little sharp and a little flat, with the average at
> >A=440, then it would be acceptable.
> >Regards,
> >Joe Garrett
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "jolly roger" <baldyam@sk.sympatico.ca>
> >To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> >Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2001 11:00 AM
> >Subject: Re: Sharp organ

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