Aural vs. electronic again

[tune4u@earthlink.net]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Ballard" <yardbird@vermontel.net>

> 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.

Yeah. I wrote a looong article on ghost tone tuning/testing on here a few
weeks ago. I like it because you really cut through the noise sometimes.
What's interesting, too, is that even though your "beat" might be at, say,
the 6th and 3rd partials, the perceived sound of the beat will be at the
fundamentals of the two notes, or at least a lot lower than the 19th.
Example, you play an out-of-tune octave and get the beat rate. You'd think
it's somewhere at or between the octaves until you wang the 19th and realize
THAT is where the beat is. Don't know if I said that very well. Good
training, as you say.

> 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.

I will experiment with this.

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

Never thought to. Little tough to do in the old Betsy Ross spinet <G>
>
> 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.

I'll try this one, too.

Alan
Salem