Aural vs. electronic again

[Bill Ballard]

At 7:40 PM -0600 1/20/03, <tune4u@earthlink.net> wrote:
>Interesting. I tune a C2-C3 using the same science but without having to
>hear and match a beat rate--if the room is fairly quiet.

Actually a different "technology". What you're describing is using 
the 19th to "ghost" the 6:3 octaves coincidental partials. It's a 
good way of reinforcing (or even finding the pitch on which the beat 
rate actually occurs. Good theory and ear training for people just 
starting out with aural tuning.

I what I'm doing is listening to the beat rate in a given octave 
(say, 6:3 instead of 2:1), and mistuning the unison in the "tunee" to 
match the out of tuneness heard in the octave. At this point the 
mis-tuned string should be brought in tune with the "tuner" (note 
being tuned): all that remains is to pull the other string(s) on the 
"tunee" in unison with that one.

Essentially I'm transferring the out-of-tuneness in the octave to the 
unison of the tunee, and completing the unison in the note just 
corrected. The unison is being shimmed.

At 7:40 PM -0600 1/20/03, <tune4u@earthlink.net> wrote:
>If there is a lot of noise in the unison strings and it's hard to find the
>"sweet spot" you can hold the key down and whomp the 12th. Tune out the
>rolls of this overtone and (unless strings are really sick) it makes, I
>think, the  cleanest possible unison.

Why not just hold both C2 and G4 open with the sostenuto, and tune 
the 12th directly, as Phil was doing.

Another octave test using ghosting is to play C2/D#2/C3 (all dead 
unions, or muted to singke strings per note). If C2 and C3 are a 
spot-on 6:3 octave, the m3d C2/D#2 and the M3d D#2/C3 will have the 
same beat rate. Play C2/D#2/C3 and ghost G4, an the two beat rates 
(m3d and M3d) will combine in the air, faultlessly, distinctly as a 
single beat rate.

Bill Ballard RPT
NH Chapter, P.T.G.

"When you do, you will"
     ...........Albert to his charge Chris, in "What Dreams May Come"
+++++++++++++++++++++