Tuning styles with octaves

[David Ilvedson]

Just in case you didn't know:   Back in the 50's?   a man name Railsback? had an 
amazing device called a Conn Strobo-Tuner.   He followed around all the best concert
tuners checking their work.   He expected to find a perfectly straight line at O cents but was 
flabbergasted to find the pitch going flat in the bass and sharp in the treble.   Possibly the first
experience with the natural stretch we automatically put into a tuning.   

I think this story was told to me by Jim Coleman or Dr. Sanderson....anyone know where the story came from?   

David Ilvedson


----- Original message ---------------------------------------->
From: Bec and John <bjsilva001@comcast.net>
To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
Received: Wed, 9 Jun 2004 22:38:36 -0400
Subject: Tuning styles with octaves

>Hello,

>I am curious about people who do not tune octaves "perfectly". For 
>instance, tuning bass notes flat or sharp in smaller pianos in favour 
>of better partials.

>My own taste and philosophy is to tune all octaves completely 
>beat-less. Even in the bass of small grands, if the note is off-tune in 
>favour of a potentially less offending partial that will bother me far 
>more than the partial. In the highest range, beats appear with the 
>smallest of imperfections and, to me, perfectly clean higher notes (at 
>least on a nice piano) are so pretty - even a very slow beat ruins it 
>for me.

>So I was curious to hear people's explanations for stretching octaves. 
>I always figured it was to humour the person they are tuning for, 
>although I have gathered from postings on the list that some tuners 
>prefer it themselves.

>When I was studying tuning I recall reading or hearing someone say that 
>if the octaves were tuned "perfectly" they'd be off tune at either end 
>of the piano - I found exactly the opposite! :)

>Thanks.

>- John

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