Hearing beats

Bill Ballard yardbird@vermontel.net
Tue, 24 Aug 2004 09:28:56 -0400


At 1:30 AM -0500 8/24/04, Richard Moody wrote:
>Is that they way you were trained and how exactly did it go?

It was so long ago that I don't remember. 'Though I belive Bill 
Garlick was using a C fork as the start of a Wm Braid White 
temperament. I graduated from his course in FEB '72. I switched to 
the A fork when I discovered the distinct advantages of the 3ds/6ths 
temperament. However it wasn't until until about nine years ago that 
I got called by a fine flautist on the error incurred when A440 is 
put on the 2d partial of A3, instead of the 1st partial of A4. (But I 
suspect that this is prone to less error than starting with a C fork 
and expecting A3 to be a reference A440.)

>For me the A440 fork was put on the tenor bridge sounded against A4
>and if it was close enough it (the piano) was tuned from A4.

You talking a straight unison between 1st partials, the fork's and A4's, right?

>.......but unless it was a pitch raise you didn't change the pitch of A4
>because of the fork.

I'm confused. The reason we pull the fork out of our shirt pocket is 
to set A4 to it, right?

>To get a good temperament I soon learned to get a "good" A3--A4
>octave which I was taught to determine by the F3--A3--F3--A4   third and
>tenth tests.

That's a certified 4/2 octave, which is installs an A880.

>The bottom line IMHO is
>"who tunes less tunes best".

Amen.......


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