<HTML>In a message dated 5/26/02 11:27:06 PM Central Daylight Time, piano@charlesneuman.net (Charles Neuman) writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Thanks for all your responses. In my original question, my concern was being able to tune the F21-A49 interval, which would require playing a 17th interval with the left hand while I tune A49. I figured I could tune A49 more accurately if I could match the beat rate of this interval with that of F21-fork. But now I'm finding that I'm pretty accurate when I put the fork in my mouth or under the keybed, as you all have suggested. Since I can hear both A49 and the fork simultaneously, I can concentrate on the beating and do fairly well.</BLOCKQUOTE> I didn't read all the other posts about this but after seeing these comments, I wonder if the obvious has been overlooked?  Use the Sostenuto pedal to hold open whichever notes you desire.  If the piano has no Sostenuto pedal, you can use the damper pedal in the same way as you would use the Sostenuto, that is, play the desired notes first, then press the pedal. You'll get a little background "noise" when using the damper pedal but you'll still be able to hear clearly your intent. It should be said that while comparing F2-A4 and F2-A4/fork is a good practice, this is only really necessary when doing the finest of fine tuning.  If you are planning on and/or preparing to take the PTG Tuning Exam, you do need to practice this and get comfortable with it in order to get the best possible Pitch score. The goal is to have A4 be a dead solid unison with the A4/fork.  When you have that, the *confirmation* will come with the F2-A4 test which should reveal a rapid beat which is *exactly the same* as the beat which occurs between F2 and the A4/fork.  This is an example of using the *Equal Beating* (EB) technique when aural tuning.  It provides for virtually the same accuracy by ear as one can get using an Electronic Tuning Device (ETD).   If, for example, your A4 and the A4/for are not exactly matched and thus have a slow beat between them, the F2-A4 and F2-A4/fork comparison will reveal a discrepancy.  Make the two beat exactly the same and your pitch will be accurate to less than one cent, within the tolerance for the Exam and will score a perfect 100. Unfortunately when tuning Equal Temperament (ET), there are only a few opportunities to use EB tuning techniques to prove accuracy.  That is why it is often claimed that tuning a typical Historical Temperament (HT) is easier to get completely accurate than tuning ET.  Many HT's present the opportunity to compare intervals and get them to beat exactly the same as one another, thus assuring a high degree of accuracy. Bill Bremmer RPT Madison, Wisconsin <A HREF="http://www.billbremmer.com/">Click here: -=w w w . b i l l b r e m m e r . c o m =-</A> </HTML>