<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2>In a message dated 4/7/01 9:34:40 PM Central Daylight Time,
<BR>ramsey@extremezone.com (Kevin E. Ramsey) writes:
<BR>
<BR>
<BR><BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">OK, Bill. You'll have to give a dummy like me a clue. Temperaments are one
<BR>thing. Octave stretch is another. Jim Sr. said that you had done
<BR>"something" to your octaves, and that he liked it. What did you do? I have
<BR>found that the amount of stretch is a matter of taste; what sounds pleasing
<BR>to one tuner sounds noisy to another. So in the interest of continuing
<BR>education ( that holiest of grails which we are always on a crusade for)
<BR>clue me in. Please?</BLOCKQUOTE>
<BR>
<BR>I came up with my octave tuning method back in the mid 1980's when I was
<BR>still tuning Equal Temperament (ET) but continued to use it when I started
<BR>working with HT's. I was strictly an aural tuner until after the time I
<BR>designed the Equal Beating Victorian Temperament (EBVT). The tuning Jim
<BR>Coleman, Sr. RPT heard at the PTG Annual Convention in 1993 was done entirely
<BR>by ear. Incidentally, he was sitting with Virgil Smith RPT at the time who
<BR>also came forward. I remember Jim turning to him noting that I had done the
<BR>job aurally.
<BR>
<BR>It is really very simple but cuts right through to the very reason tempering
<BR>is done in the first place. That is, the Pythagorean Comma, the "gap"
<BR>between what 7 pure octaves and 12 pure 5ths would create: about 24 cents.
<BR>It uses the piano's natural inharmonicity to fill that gap and goes beyond
<BR>that to satisfy the ear's enigmatic desire to hear the upper registers
<BR>sharper than they should be theoretically.
<BR>
<BR>Starting with a temperament octave constructed with an appropriate amount of
<BR>stretch (a compromise between a 4:2 and a 6:3 octave or just a plain 6:3
<BR>octave for any of the milder Well-Temperaments) ((the earlier HT's are more
<BR>appropriately done with a minimum amount of stretch)), begin stretching the
<BR>octaves by comparing the octave itself, moving closer to a pure 5th but being
<BR>careful not to make the resultant 4th sound too "busy".
<BR>
<BR>Once you get into the 5th octave, you will notice that the beating in the 4th
<BR>ceases to be of concern. That is because the coincident partials are high
<BR>enough that they become so weak as to be inaudible. As the 4ths become less
<BR>significant, you can concentrate more on the compromise between the octave
<BR>and the 5th, trying to equalize the beating between them the best possible.
<BR>
<BR>Now, once you have 2 full octaves, F3-F5, it becomes very easy to determine
<BR>the very best compromise for the octaves possible. Here is the method I use
<BR>which I have never heard of anyone else proposing at any time: Using the
<BR>Sostenuto pedal, play the double octave, then the octave and a 5th. Example,
<BR>F3-F5, then A#3(Bb3)-F5. Find the point when the double octave sounds just
<BR>barely pure, then listen to the octave and 5th. You should notice a
<BR>pronounced beat (which does not sound satisfying to the ear at all). Now
<BR>sharpen the upper note, F5 until the double octave starts to beat and
<BR>continue sharpening until the double ocatve beats *exactly the same* as the
<BR>octave and 5th.
<BR>
<BR>Both intervals will end up beating very slowly. In ET, they may well sound
<BR>both to be *apparently* in tune, very nearly beatless. But, you can only
<BR>find this "sweet spot" by comparing both intervals. In a typical
<BR>Well-Temperament, you will have some pure 5ths and some tempered ones. When
<BR>the 5th is pure, the reconciliation of the double octave and the octave and
<BR>5th will be easy: you can make both sound pure very easily. When the 5ths
<BR>is tempered, you have to accept a little more beating in the double octave
<BR>than you would in ET.
<BR>
<BR>So, you can see that when the tuning concerns an Historical Temperament (HT)
<BR>or any kind of Well-Temperament (WT), using this method of determining
<BR>octaves will create octaves of *uneven* sizes just as the 3rds & 6ths (and
<BR>other Rapidly Beating Intervals) (RBI) are uneven in the temperament octave.
<BR>No smooth curve calculation used by any Electronic Tuning Device (ETD) that I
<BR>know of can duplicate this although when tuning ET, they may closely
<BR>approximate it.
<BR>
<BR>The problem I see with using these smooth curve calculations when tuning an
<BR>HT is that they leave too much dissatisfying tempering in the extensions of
<BR>the 5ths, the octave and 5ths and the double octave and 5ths. This makes the
<BR>resultant tuning have less clarity than it could have otherwise. For this
<BR>reason, I never use the FAC program with my Sanderson Accu-Tuner (SAT).
<BR>
<BR>Back to the method: If the piano has no Sostenuto pedal, you can use the
<BR>damper pedal but use it the same way you would use the Sostenuto pedal. That
<BR>is, play the notes in question first, then press the pedal to hold them while
<BR>you make your fine adjustment. There will be a little more background
<BR>"noise" but you will still be able to clearly hear your objective. In a
<BR>vertical piano using muting strips (as I do and as I originally learned from
<BR>Jim Coleman, Sr. RPT), the strip will be under the dampers in the treble
<BR>section. You can just use the damper pedal in the same manner as described
<BR>above.
<BR>
<BR>Continue with this method all the way to the top. The piano's own
<BR>inharmonicity will determine where you tune each note. When you have
<BR>completed the entire middle and treble sections, you can play double octaves
<BR>and octaves & 5ths up and down the scale. Believe me, any octave and 5ths
<BR>which are too narrow will "jump out" at you. I realized, after a time that I
<BR>could tune entirely by ear and have rock solid consistency whether it was my
<BR>first tuning of the day or the 6th or 7th for that matter, whether I was
<BR>tired, no matter what mood I was in or even feeling somewhat ill because any
<BR>notes that were too flat would be glaringly apparent. Notes which are too
<BR>sharp will also produce noticeable beating in the double octaves.
<BR>
<BR>This method can be duplicated exactly using the SAT (unfortunately, I don't
<BR>know about the other ETD's). Having the SAT set on the note to be tuned,
<BR>Example, F5: play the note F3 and stop the lights. Now play the note
<BR>A#3(Bb3). The lights will rotate clockwise. Now press the Cents button in
<BR>the sharp direction until the lights slow down for A#3 and begin to move
<BR>counterclockwise for F3. Find the point at which the clockwise and
<BR>counterclockwise movement is *equalized*.
<BR>
<BR>At first, this balance may be very close, especially if the piano has low
<BR>inharmonicity but it will be more pronounced as you move higher in the scale.
<BR> In ET, the difference between the two will probably be marginal. In HT's,
<BR>the pure 5th and Double Octave combination will show stopped lights for both
<BR>the double octave and the octave and 5th while the tempered 5th and double
<BR>octave will show significant movement clockwise and counterclockwise for both.
<BR>
<BR>Once you have made your compromise for the note in question, tune the note to
<BR>whatever setting the SAT is showing. If you wish to store the tuning, do so
<BR>before you move on to the next note. There is no reason why you couldn't use
<BR>an FAC program that would get you close to this compromise but which you
<BR>could *customise* by making this fine adjustment.
<BR>
<BR>When tuning below the temperament octave and on to the wound strings, you
<BR>simply do a mirror image of what you did in the treble. Most people seem to
<BR>want to tune the wound strings first. (I personally think using the FAC
<BR>program starting at A0 is *perverse*!). I, however, have good reasons for
<BR>finishing the top part of the piano first. It is by nature, the most
<BR>difficult, tedious and time consuming. If you get the hard part done first,
<BR>doing the easy part last helps you relax and wind down as you complete the
<BR>job. Also, if time is running out, you can move more quickly through the
<BR>lowest part of the piano than you can through the highest.
<BR>
<BR>I usually will complete the F3-F4 temperament octave, then tune down any
<BR>notes in the low tenor that may be below that first, then start moving
<BR>upwards, leaving the bass section for last. For tuning the low tenor,
<BR>compare the 4th, 5th and octave. Make the octave sound just barely pure
<BR>first, then listen to the 4th and 5th. In ET, the 5th will probably beat
<BR>noticeably and the 4th will be nearly pure. Flatten the note to be tuned
<BR>until there is just a slight beat in the octave (around 1/2 beat per second)
<BR>and the 5th becomes cleaner and the 4th has a slow beat. This should also
<BR>produce a smooth progression of 3rds.
<BR>
<BR>When tuning an HT, you will have the same occurence with tempered 5ths and
<BR>pure 5ths. The pure 5th compromise will be easy, the tempered a little more
<BR>difficult. When tuning the so-called "poor scale design" piano (of which it
<BR>seems that most pianos are, in fact) you simply need to compare all intervals
<BR>and reach the best compromise. The result will probably be that your 3rds
<BR>will beat more slowly than you anticipate and your 5th may end up more
<BR>tempered but the end effect on the music to be played will be more pleasing.
<BR>
<BR>When tuning an HT with such a piano, you really can end up with the sweet
<BR>sounds prevailing over the harsh ones. In my view, the practice of *forcing*
<BR>a more pure 5th in this area at the expense of the octave, 4th and 3rd is a
<BR>mistake. It does not make the piano sound better or cleaner. It makes all
<BR>of the harmony sound more harshly than it has to.
<BR>
<BR>When tuning the wound strings in the bass section, do a mirror image of what
<BR>you did in the treble. Example: play the double octave F2-F4 and use the
<BR>Sostenuto (or alternatively, the Damper) pedal to hold the notes open.
<BR>Adjust the double octave until it sounds pure then listen to the octave and
<BR>5th, F2-C4. Flatten F2 until the beat between the double octave and the
<BR>octave and 5th is *equalized*.
<BR>
<BR>When using the SAT, set it to the note to be tuned, Example: F2. Play the
<BR>note F4 and stop the lights. Now play the note C4 and the lights will rotate
<BR>clockwise. Press the Cents button in the Flat direction until the clockwise
<BR>and counterclockwise movement of the lights between C4 and F4 is *exactly*
<BR>the same. Tune the note F2 to whatever setting is acheived. If you wish to
<BR>store the tuning, do so before moving on to the next note.
<BR>
<BR>Playing double octaves and octave and 5ths up and down the bass will reveal
<BR>any unevenness, allowing you to acheive *maximum* clarity and consistency.
<BR>If you have stored the tuning in the SAT, you can check your work easily to
<BR>make sure it has held as precisely as you wish.
<BR>
<BR>This method of equalizing beats between intervals is known as none other than
<BR>the Equal Beating (EB) method although I did not realize this until I started
<BR>to study the HT's. It is also known as "Meantone" tuning. So, don't let that
<BR>word scare you away. It does not necessarily involve the notorious "Wolf".
<BR>It simply means making an equal compromise.
<BR>
<BR>The important discovery in using the EB principle in octaves as well as
<BR>temperament is the Cancelling Out Effect (COE) that has been brought to
<BR>light. It is well known that tuning the piano with its 12 tone scale and
<BR>Inharmonicity is a difficult puzzle to solve which requires inevitable
<BR>compromises. You just can't really get rid of some objectionable sounds, it
<BR>seems. But, if you will take the hints I have given you here, you will see
<BR>and hear that you really can hide some of them and thus produce the sweetest,
<BR>clearest sounding, most melodic harmony possible from the piano, *regardless*
<BR>of choice of temperament.
<BR>
<BR>Finally, to address the issue of *taste* in octave stretching: Yes, you will
<BR>hear beating in single octaves, particularly in the 6th and 7th octaves.
<BR>Some technicians get caught up in this sound when played out of context. But
<BR>dwelling on an octave played in the high treble by itself outside of a
<BR>musical context is simply not music, just as playing 3rds & 6ths up and down
<BR>is not either.
<BR>
<BR>The decay in that part of the piano is quick. The ear can tolerate or even
<BR>desire much more dissonance in an octave in that part of the piano than it
<BR>can in the middle. Imagine a large, concert grand in a large hall. That
<BR>dissonance in the upper octaves will actually help the piano carry and
<BR>project much better and thus provide a much more satisfying sound than 2:1
<BR>octaves will.
<BR>
<BR>Of course, there are different circumstances. Some customers, in the privacy
<BR>and intimacy of their homes will find that kind of stretch to be
<BR>inappropriate. This may also be the case for chamber music or in a recording
<BR>circumstance where the piano is miked closely. Any technician should be able
<BR>to modify his or her usual approach to suit the demands of the particular
<BR>circumstances. Indeed, tuning the way I have suggested in the 7th octave
<BR>will produce "errors" when tuning for the PTG RPT Tuning Exam although it
<BR>would probably not result in a failing score. When tuning for the Exam, the
<BR>7th octave must be tuned in strict 2:1 octaves in order to get a high or
<BR>perfect score.
<BR>
<BR>I hope this essay enlightens many of you on the List.
<BR>
<BR>Regards,
<BR>
<BR>Bill Bremmer RPT
<BR>Madison, Wisconsin</FONT></HTML>