<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.3157" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Indeed, but do piano strings not have partials? The Jon Golding post suggested that the rear (or front) duplex "will vibrate sympathetically as overtones when other notes are played on the piano." I'm simply suggesting that yes, they will be vibrate sympathetically when other notes are played on the piano, but will also vibrate sympathetically when that same note is played (with a "tuned" rear (or front) duplex) - i.e., if C6 is played and the back scale is one-half or one-third (etc.) of the speaking length, the back scale of C6 would presumably vibrate sympathetically with the speaking length of C6.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>I read that post to suggest that because the back scale was not the same length as the speaking length of any given string, the pitch of the back scale can't match the pitch of the speaking segment of that string. Indeed, it can't match the fundamental pitch of the speaking segment - but it can match a pitch of one of the partials of the speaking length.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>And the point here is that the post said "If it (a given note's backscale) is left unmuted its strings will vibrate sympathetically as overtones when other notes are played on the piano." Suggesting that a given note will not stimulate the backscale of that same note. I was just trying to point out that it can - and in fact should - if it is "tuned". I mean if one is suggesting that a piano scale has a "tuned" rear duplex, what else on earth does that mean?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>When we "detune" a front or backscale, don't we specifically try to avoid a fractional length of that note's speaking length to quiet the front and/or backscales?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Or, of course, maybe I'm all washed up on this. Wouldn't surprise me.  :-)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"> </DIV>Terry,<BR>On some pianos the rear duplex will come close to matching the speaking length, but the more active front duplex is usually a fraction of the speaking length...wouldn't you agree?<BR><BR>Andrew Anderson<BR><BR>At 03:40 PM 8/19/2007, you wrote:<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite="" type="cite"><I>"On any given string, the duplex segment will not match the pitch of the speaking segment of the sting. (It cannot because these two segments are different lengths)."</I> <BR> <BR>Since when? I mean, assuming the duplex segment was somewhere close to being "tuned".<BR> <BR>Terry Farrell<BR> <BR> <DL> <DD>----- Original Message ----- <BR> <DD><BR>  <DD>The duplex scale on the piano refers to the non-speaking portion of treble strings. It can either be muted or left unmuted. If it is left unmuted its strings will vibrate sympathetically as overtones when other notes are played on the piano. On any given string, the duplex segment will not match the pitch of the speaking segment of the sting. (It cannot because these two segments are different lengths). <BR> <DD>If the tuner muted the duplex segment it was probably because one of the strings in this area wasn't seated properly against its bearing point and was buzzing. Another reason for muting this section would be if the piano sounded too resonant. By muting the duplex you can decrese the amount of decay time in the piano's upper register.  <BR> <DD><BR>  <DD>Jon Golding<BR> <DD><BR>  <DD>SNIP <BR> <DD>SNIP <BR> <DD>SNIP<BR> <DD>SNIP <BR> <DD>SNIP <BR> <DD>SNIP<BR> <DD>Etc., etc., etc........<BR></DD></DL></BLOCKQUOTE><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>