<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:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)"> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"/>  <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue> <div class=Section1> Actually, the pianos/keyboard instruments are fixed in their tuning.  All of the other instruments in an orchestra are tuned to one instrument, such as an oboe, which has been previously tuned to the piano.  There is a certain amount of inharmonicity, to be sure, but it usually isn’t enough to be noticeable in an orchestral setting.  With vocalists, though – especially when performing a capella – a certain amount of tuning of the human voice is necessary to match the complexity of the chord structures.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </div> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Paul T Williams Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2011 4:20 PM To: <st1:PersonName w:st="on">pianotech@ptg.org</st1:PersonName> Subject: Re: [pianotech] theory question<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> Even vocalists??? LOL I get the drift.  Like lipping up on a sax or something to match what's going on???  How do they match the piano or other fixed keyboard instruments or are all the keyboards, just "out of tune" with the rest of the orchestra on certain passages? <o:p></o:p> <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%'> <tr> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> From: <o:p></o:p> </td> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> "Tom Rhea, Jr." <rheapiano@cox.net> <o:p></o:p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> To: <o:p></o:p> </td> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> <<st1:PersonName w:st="on">pianotech@ptg.org</st1:PersonName>> <o:p></o:p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> Date: <o:p></o:p> </td> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> 09/27/2011 03:07 PM <o:p></o:p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> Subject: <o:p></o:p> </td> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> Re: [pianotech] theory question<o:p></o:p> </td> </tr> </table> <o:p> </o:p> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" noshade color="#aca899" align=center> </div> Hi Paul,   An instrumentalist generally only plays one note at a time but all of the notes of the score must be harmonically related.  That’s true even with a vocalist.  If you look at a score (piano, orchestral, choral, etc) and analyze each chord, you’ll find that they can be broken down into a very logical, though sometimes extremely complex, structure.  What confuses me at times, is a note (G# for instance) that crosses a bar line and becomes an A flat.  Musically, they’re the same note but harmonically they’re not because the other notes in the chord have changed, making the entire structure into something different, even though the two notes (G# and A flat) sound the same to the ear.  Instrumentalists, but especially vocalists, have to be aware that the A flat must be tuned slightly when going from a G# because of the inharmonicity within the chord structure.  As piano technicians, we have to be aware of the same inharmonicity when tuning since some of the intervals need to be stretched or compressed slightly to match the temperament.  The same occurs in instrumental or vocal music, too, especially with string instrumentalists and vocalists.   I hope this hasn’t been too long-winded and makes some sort of sense.   Regards, Tom     <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center> </div> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [<a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org">mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a>] On Behalf Of Paul T Williams Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2011 3:30 PM To: <st1:PersonName w:st="on">pianotech@ptg.org</st1:PersonName> Subject: Re: [pianotech] theory question   Ahhh!   Makes sense to me. Thanks for clarifying this.  I always wondered that, too.  But;  why do this, when the notes are just written in the score?  Would a bassist wonder why he/she is playing an E or G when it's a C chord?  I've always just played what's written. Am I missing something? Best, Paul <o:p></o:p> <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%'> <tr> <td width="14%" valign=top style='width:14.0%;padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> From: <o:p></o:p> </td> <td width="85%" valign=top style='width:85.0%;padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> "Tom Rhea, Jr." <rheapiano@cox.net> <o:p></o:p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> To: <o:p></o:p> </td> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> <<st1:PersonName w:st="on">joegarrett@earthlink.net</st1:PersonName>>, <<st1:PersonName w:st="on">pianotech@ptg.org</st1:PersonName>> <o:p></o:p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> Date: <o:p></o:p> </td> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> 09/27/2011 02:04 PM <o:p></o:p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> Subject: <o:p></o:p> </td> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> Re: [pianotech] theory question<o:p></o:p> </td> </tr> </table>   <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" noshade color="#aca899" align=center> </div> Hi Joe, et al, The actual theory behind this convention is this: Consider the CEG major chord and the note positions when being played.  All the notes are said to be in their root positions. When a first inversion of the CEG chord is being played, the E and G are in their root positions but the C has been moved up an octave and is now a 4th interval above the highest adjacent root note, the G.  This position, EGC, is said to be a C Major 4 or first inversion of the C Major chord. In the second inversion of the CEG chord, the only note still in its root position is the G.  The C and E are moved an octave above their root positions, such that the E is a 6th interval above the G (in its root position) and the C is a 4th interval from the G (in its root position), hence a C Major 6/4. All of the chords are spelled from the bottom.  However, the intervals which comprise the inversions are labeled from the highest note still in its root position to the one or two notes that have been moved up an octave from their root positions, either a 4th interval for a first inversion or a 6th and a 4th interval for a second inversion.  The labeling of the inversion intervals is always from the highest interval first. I hope this helps with understanding the theory question. Regards, Tom -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [<a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org">mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a>] On Behalf Of Joseph Garrett Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2011 2:26 PM To: pianotech Subject: Re: [pianotech] theory question Ken said: "I concur with Tom. You count from the bottom up. A "6" is the interval between the E and the C when in first inversion. In second inversion, G, C, E, there is a 4th between the G-C and an "6" between the G-E." Ken Gerler (I was a theory major in college) Hmmm? if that were the case, then the later would be a 4/6 rather than a 6/4. Right?<G> Personally, I prefer the Jazz Musicians way of saying something like "the C chord with a G in the bass.<G> That's my take on that. Joe Joe Garrett, R.P.T. Captain of the Tool Police Squares R I <o:p></o:p> </div> </body> </html>