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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>
<A href="mailto:greeneguy63@mindspring.com"
title=greeneguy63@mindspring.com>Patrick Greene</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org"
title=pianotech@ptg.org>pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, April 28, 2002 =
11:57
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: C Fork does not =
equal
440cps</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>I guess my question is: How =
difficult is it
to learn to use the A temperament? I apprenticed under a guy who =
felt
that the C temp was more forgiving than the A temp. I think he =
was going
to teach me the A temperament, but he never got around to it and I was =
too
ignorant to remind him. The upshot is that now that is all I =
use.
I have yet to tune for anyone other than churches and private
individuals. </FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> There's really =
no such thing
as "the A temperament", or "the" F or C temperament. Common =
practice
among most tuners is to set an equal temperament. What differs =
among
various tuners is the starting note and the sequence used. The =
higher
up in the scale the temperament, the faster the intervals beat, =
though, so
if it's hard for you to hear or "count" the speed of the faster =
intervals,
you might want to set a temperament lower down at first, like from =
C3 to C4
or from F3 to F4. The C to C sequence usually starts with =
a C
Fork, but the F to F or the A to A sequences usually use an A
fork.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> But one sequence =
isn't
really "harder" or more forgiving than another -- just located =
higher or
lower in the piano's register.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> I use the term =
"sequence"
because you're not really setting different temperaments unless =
you're
intentionally tuning equal temperament on some pianos, well =
temperament on
others, mean-tone on others, =
etc. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> You could take =
the
temperament sequence you already know, move it up or down the =
keyboard, and
still set a temperament BUT the beat speeds of the thirds, sixths, =
fourths,
etc. would be faster or slower. The three contiguous Major =
3rds
C3 - E3, E3 - G#3, G#3 - C4 have beat speeds of about 5, 7, and 9 =
bps,
respectively, whereas the three contiguous Major 3rds F3 - A3, A3 - =
C#4, C#4
- F4 beat at about 7, 9, and 11 or 12 bps, respectively. =
The 4ths
beat ever so slightly faster and the 5ths almost the same. =
(Not
splitting hairs here, you tenth-of-a-centers reading =
this).
--David Nereson, RPT, Denver </FONT></DIV>
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