<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2>In a message dated 9/1/01 3:40:00 PM Central Daylight Time, gmcc@pipeline.com
<BR>(Gary McCormick) writes:
<BR>
<BR>
<BR><BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Is it appropriate to ask how the scoring is done on the tuning exam?
<BR>I'm trying to practice the temperament test using RCT; pulling up the record
<BR>of my own piano, after tuning a temperament, I manually record what I've
<BR>done, and compare it to the tuning record.
<BR>On a couple of notes, I may be off 1.10 cents, and the rest anywhere from
<BR>.12 to .50 cents. Is this acceptable? At the moment I feel like I'm trying
<BR>to beat the machine, and I don't know that I can do that.</BLOCKQUOTE>
<BR>
<BR>Yes, it's appropriate to ask and Kent S. answered you well. I presume you
<BR>are trying to tune by ear then judge your results against electronic values.
<BR>You must designate a Temperament Octave. That is usually F3-F4 but can be
<BR>something else if you prefer. You must be reading the 3rd, 4th and 5th
<BR>octaves all on octave 5. If you are reading the wrong partial, you will get
<BR>far different numerical values.
<BR>
<BR>Try first by using the RCT to tune a 2 octave span, C3-C5 using the usual
<BR>techniques. Now, record the values for each note as they appear when read on
<BR>octave 5. Example, record the value for C3 by focusing on C5. Record the
<BR>value for C4 by focusing on C5 and finally, record the value for C5 by
<BR>focusing on C5. Do like wise for all of the notes in that 2 octave span,
<BR>making sure you record the values for each note by reading in Octave 5.
<BR>
<BR>Now, detune your 2 octave span by offsetting your RTC by an arbitrary amount,
<BR>say 3-6 cents sharp. Starting on C3, tune in whole steps up to C5. Now,
<BR>offset the RCT by the same amount you chose to tune sharp but set it by that
<BR>amount flat this time and tune in whole steps starting on C#3 and ending on
<BR>B4. This will produce a thoroughly out of tune span but will not upset the
<BR>basic tension on the piano.
<BR>
<BR>Now, test your fork against the RTC and calibrate it if necessary. It should
<BR>be as exact as possible, not more than .5 cents variant from the RTC. To
<BR>score yourself, first test you note A4 by reading it on A4. Any amount more
<BR>than 1 cent either sharp or flat will give you a point off for each 1/10
<BR>cent. More than 20 points fails. Use the RCT to correct A4 electronically
<BR>to as exactly 440 as possible. Now using A4 as your starting reference, tune
<BR>your two octave C3-C5 span aurally, the best you can.
<BR>
<BR>Now read your aural tuning the same way as you did the electronic tuning, all
<BR>on Octave 5. Compare the difference on each note. The tolerance for error
<BR>is 1 cent. Any more than 1 cent is a point, any more than 2 cents is
<BR>another, etc. In your temperament octave (usually F3-F4) you must not have
<BR>more than 8 points total. In your entire 2 octave span, you must not have
<BR>more than 13 points.
<BR>
<BR>Now, the Exam itself does make one other adjustment that can give you a
<BR>little break if your pitch is passing but not perfect. It adjusts the
<BR>average pitch of your aural tuning to the electronic, so-called "Master"
<BR>tuning. But grading yourself in this way will give you an indication of
<BR>whether your aural tuning is within passable tolerances.
<BR>
<BR>Before judging your work, try to correct any errors yourself. Play up and
<BR>down 3rds, 6ths, 4ths and 5ths. Listen for any unevenness. Any "busy" 4th
<BR>should have a corresponding 5th which sounds too pure. Any "wobbly" 5th
<BR>should have a corresponding 4th which sounds too pure. If you don't know the
<BR>4:5 ratio of contiguous 3rds test, you need to learn it. Any two contiguous
<BR>thirds will beat at a ratio of 4:5. This is a little difficult to discern
<BR>but you know when you don't have it right more plainly than when you do. Is
<BR>the bottom 3rd slow and the top one very fast? Are they too much the same?
<BR>Is the top one slower than the lower one?
<BR>
<BR>If the answer to any of these is "yes", then you have an error somewhere.
<BR>You should be able to find that "busy" 4th or 5th ar that 4th or 5th which is
<BR>too pure if your contiguous 3rds test indicates an error. The point here is
<BR>to try to *prove* which note is in error or at least which note has the
<BR>greatest error to start correcting the temperament. When you find the note
<BR>which is too sharp or flat by proving it this way, you can make your fine
<BR>correction. Such a correction will be on the order of less than 2 cents,
<BR>maybe even less than one cent which is very fine work. Don't make the
<BR>mistake of changing things without proving the need to do so because you may
<BR>increase your errors rather than eliminate them.
<BR>
<BR>When your two octave span sounds perfectly smooth and even, it is time to
<BR>score it. If it really is smooth with no rough spots, no wobbly 5ths, no too
<BR>pure 4ths and 3rds & 6ths which ascend and descend very smoothly and the
<BR>contiguous 3rds tests also seem to check out, you'll have a temperament which
<BR>should score above 90. A temperament that only scores an 80 will have easily
<BR>detectable errors but will still usually not be so bad that it would produce
<BR>unmusical dissonances. That's why the tolerance is set where it is. It
<BR>takes a very highly skilled tuner to produce a score of 100, so don't be
<BR>disappointed if you get passing scores but still have a few errors. Indeed,
<BR>a temperament which only scores about an 80 can still produce a good sounding
<BR>piano if the unisons and octaves are also within Exam tolerances.
<BR>
<BR>If you have any more questions about this, feel free to post them.
<BR>
<BR>Bill Bremmer RPT
<BR>Madison, Wisconsin</FONT></HTML>