Ryan, I was surprised to read in the quote you shared from Steve Brady, RPT stated, "… a pitch difference of as much as four cents …" etc. comment The important thing is it was qualified with "… in emergency situations …" We all live with emergency situations and endure the outcome. Example: I was scheduled to tune for a Concerto-Aria performance one year. The performance was schedule for the month of February. However, the schedule I was given stated March. On the day of the performance, while in a supermarket shopping, I crossed paths with a colleague who said, "I'm certainly looking forward to tonight's program." To which I said, "What performance?" OMG…there had been no pre-tuning for rehearsals, nor any of the previous month on the piano being used. As you might guess, I immediately stopped shopping, went to the auditorium. Oops, there was a dress rehearsal in progress. Couldn't stop that. So, I was only left with one option, an hour window to put this piano in tune between the end of that rehearsal and the beginning of the program, not counting the orchestra members hanging around doing their final adjustments for whatever reasons, and not counting the number of persons who were starting to come into the auditorium for the program. So I had to make an executive decision, right or wrong. Tune the piano where it was in pitch, or attempt two passes to bring it to pitch. Neither did I like. I decided that the since two rehearsals had already taken place and those involved had to adjust to the existent pitch. (which as my memory recalls, was at least, 4 cents or more flat from A440. Yikes!) I floated it at the location where the majority of the center strings were, by strip muting and visually reading that information via RCT, brought in the stragglers and cleaned up the unisons. Acceptance by the pianist, orchestra members and audience was not relevant. It is just what went down that evening because of an emergency situation. Sincerely, Keith McGavern, RPT pianostuff.kamcam.com On Jan 29, 2011, at 11:37 AM, Ryan Sowers wrote: > >From Steve Brady's book, "Under the Lid" > > "...I always pitch the two pianos exactly together whenever possible. That being said, I have learned that for most repertoire, in emergency situations a pitch difference of as much as four cents between the two pianos will usually be acceptable to the pianist and the audience, as long as each piano is beautifully in tune within itself. " > > Ry > > On Sat, Jan 29, 2011 at 8:50 AM, Mr. Mac's <tune-repair at allegiance.tv> wrote: > For clarification: > It occured to me that there might be some who could misunderstand, > soI felt it would be best to mention it. > > The pianos were tuned to themselves, but with each having the same initial > reference pitch … A440. > > Also: > Isn't this what essentially happens when an orchestra tunes up. > A reference note is given, the others instruments focus in on that, > and away they go. The various instruments do not attempt > to be like the other instruments because of size, shape or size. > They are what they are. The music then becomes a blend of all the differences. > > And: > The pianos are not always played together, but have solo moments. > The activity of trying to blend the tunings, note for note, so to speak, > would seem to me, to possibly be a bit more dissonant during those solo times. > > I liked that term "mixed breed tunings". > > Sincerely, > > Keith McGavern, RPT > pianostuff.kamcam.com > > > > -- > Ryan Sowers, RPT > Puget Sound Chapter > Olympia, WA > www.pianova.net
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC