<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=ProgId content=Word.Document> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 9"> <meta name=Originator content="Microsoft Word 9"> <link rel=File-List href="cid:filelist.xml@01C6B124.A71B21B0">  <style>  </style>  </head> <body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US style='tab-interval:.5in'> <div class=Section1> <![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> <![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]On Behalf Of KeyKat88@aol.com Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2006 12:27 AM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: Re: A 435 or A 440 ?<o:p></o:p> <![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> Greetings, <o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p>          IMHO, I dont believe that a perfect pitch hearer would hear it to any great degree. I'll tell you why: I have had music teachers that claim to have perfect pitch never complain about a piano being a couple beats sharp in the more humid months and flatter in the winter heating months.<o:p></o:p> <![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> Exactly.  <o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p>          I also had a few customers who claim to have perfect pitch, never notice that their piano was flat after being tooned by tooners that never correct the A that is suppose to be A-440, and merely toon the whole piano to the A that is there(!), never correcting the starting pitch.  When I took over a few of these pianos I would ask them if they noticed that the whole piano was alittle lower than it should be they said, no. What they did notice, however, is that what was ssuppose to be equal temperament, was not so equal. I think they are more sensitive to relative pitch, than they are about a piano being just a few beats sharp or flat.<o:p></o:p> Yes.  <o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p>       Also in tuning training, I was told that the human ear only really begins to notice pitch difference when it becomes 15 beats or more, sharp or flat. So, I would say, no they wont notice a few beats.<o:p></o:p> <![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> Well, 15 beats is quite a bit.  I’d say that’s easily discernable by many people.   I was told that most human ears don’t notice pitch changes of less than three cents.  And MOST don’t.  (I know many are going to ignore that word ‘most,’ and reply to this, saying that they can hear one cent, a tenth of a cent, whatever).  But it varies from person to person.  <o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p>          I would tune this piano you mention at 435, maaaaaybe 436, possibly it was designed to only take that much tension. A beat or 3 wont be detected. Again IMHO.<o:p></o:p> <![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> Even if it were designed to be at 430, it would probably take the tension of 440.  The plate, not necessarily the strings, especially if old or rusted.  <o:p></o:p> --David Nereson, RPT<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> Julia Gottshall<o:p></o:p> Reading, PA<o:p></o:p> <div style='border:none;border-left:solid blue 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt'> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:.5in;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;margin-left:39.75pt;border:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid blue 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt'> <o:p></o:p> </div> </div> </body> </html>