[pianotech] Honky tonk tuning

Duaine Hechler dahechler at att.net
Wed Feb 23 01:22:59 MST 2011


About a year after I got started in the tuning business, I got a
customer with a spinet player that just loved the honky-tonk sound.

Of course, never having to do this before, I searching the net and found
a slick "procedure" if you will:

Single string bass - right on pitch

BI-string bass - left string on - then alternating notes along with
this, the right string flat 5 cents then sharp 5 cents.

So if O is the left string, it would be: O-  O+  O-  O+ ...........

Tri-strings - middle on, left flat by 5 and right sharp by 5.

Sounded pretty good to me - as well as the customer approved.

Duaine

On 02/22/2011 11:34 PM, Tom Gorley wrote:
> I am a proponent of the unevenness of a honky tonk tuning. It's very
> nature is varying degrees of out-of tune-ness.  I would tune the piano
> and then let down one string by ear to the desired sound (some were
> raised).  I don't see why identical out-of tune-ness is required. When
> I did one for an opera group, they listened to and discussed if the
> sound was aromatic enough for the particular desired effect. Let your
> ear be your guide.  You don't need a PDA for this part.
>
>     ---Tom Gorley
>
>
> On Feb 22, 2011, at 7:05 PM, Barbara Richmond passed on this question
> from Robin Stevens
>
>> With the advent of PDAs nowadays I am wondering how many cents sharp
>> or flat the third string is changed? It would made it more even if I
>> tune the piano first then change RCT setting for that detuned string
>> to - +10 or whatever.
>


-- 
Duaine Hechler
Piano, Player Piano, Pump Organ
Tuning, Servicing & Rebuilding
Reed Organ Society Member
Florissant, MO 63034
(314) 838-5587
dahechler at att.net
www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com
--
Home & Business user of Linux - 11 years



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