<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=windows-1252" = http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content="MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=2>    I think the reason A=440 is = considered "hallowed" is that <U>supposedly</U> most pianos built since 1917 or so = are <U>designed to be at that tension</U> and should sound best at that tension.  Granted, a beat or two (A=442), doesn't change the = tension that much, and maybe 4 beats at A49 (A=444) doesn't either, but the more = conservative among us probably don't want to push the limit of what the designer had = in mind.  Newer pianos can certainly "take it" -- they could probably = "take" being a half or maybe even a whole step sharp, but would we be = damaging the strings or soundboard or structural integrity?  Probably, but maybe = not.  But why risk it?  I doubt there's ever much call tune a = piano sharper than A=444, and that's rare.  If it's been sitting at 440 = for years, I'd hesitate because the tuning would be unstable, not 'cause the = piano couldn't take it (unless very old).  But at 440, you match the = musical world, at least pretty close  -- radio, TV, record players, = non-tunable instruments like vibes, xylophones, accordions, etc.    = The notion that higher pitch equals brighter tone bothers me, however.      --David Nereson, RPT, Denver </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>