<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=windows-1252"> <META content="MSHTML 5.50.4522.1800" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV>Hi everyone,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Once again I am puzzled, confused and upset after reading = Virgil Smith's latest article in the PTJ. I always feel this way after reading = his works and have been meaning to critique his writing for a long time = but never got around to it for several reasons, not the least of which is = the fact that he is a respected professional who has contributed greatly to our = cause and it's difficult to accomplish this without being hurtful. Well, here = goes.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>For years Virgil has been talking about "natural beats" and = "listening to the whole sound". When he tries to describe these things, he uses vague descriptions that are, in my opinion, incomprehensible. The fact that = *I* don't understand them is of course no reason for rejection as I am far from an all knowing tech. That's why I have consulted many other = smart techs for an explanation and *no one*, not one single person that I = know, has any true understanding of what he is talking about.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I then decided to ask Virgil's friend and colleague, a person who = knows Virgil's work very well. You all know Jim Coleman Sr. and his work with = the "tune-offs". At one of the conventions, I asked Jim point = blank "What does Virgil mean by natural beats and listening to the whole note?" ( = I got Jim's permission to quote him last year ) Jim said "I don't know. Ask = Virgil!" A few techs have said that they *think* Virgil means this or that. And = some say "He *probably* means ....blah, blah"  Is there any one out = there who can definitively explain these things without using vague expressions = and careless verbiage?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Here is a minor poorly worded quote that I cite as an example of = careless writing. " Beats produce a rise & fall in volume matching the speed = of the beats involved..." Strictly speaking that is not correct. Beats do = not produce anything (except pulsating ear drums). Beats are the *result* of = repetitive rises and falls in volume as it reaches our ears. Helmholtz = showed that there is a resulting arithmetic difference between two different = pitches. When they are slow enough to count, we call them beats. When they are = too fast to count then they are resultant pitches. This can be shown graphically = that the waves of 2 different pitches amplify and cancel each other to produce = beats or resultant pitches depending on how slow or fast they occur each second. What is the difference between beats and natural beats? = I've asked Virgil in person and he says repeatedly that natural beats occur when = you listen to the whole tone. What in the world does this mean?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This is getting too long for me to continue picking on all the = vagaries in his recent article. I'll try to finalize. When a musician, = who knows nothing about tuning and beats, listens to a major 3rd, he listens to = the whole sound of both pitches. When you change the size of the interval, the musician hears a change in color without focusing or understanding = that there are *countable* beats that are variable to produce these different = sized 3rds. Didn't all of us tuners have to train our ears and brains to = *focus* on those countable beats so we can be scientific about our work? Just like = a rose, a beat is a beat is a beat. A beat, whether natural, un-natural or whatever, is only one thing. ****It is the result of 2 different pitches = producing countable rises and fall in volume. **** I can only hope that = Virgil will finally tell us all,  precisely how "natural beats" are = produced. Where do they come from? etc. Of which 2 pitches are they the result? = </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I sincerely hope that I have not shown any disrespect, =  because it is universally known that Virgil Smith is truly an outstanding = tuner/tech. I just believe that he is beating a dead horse in trying to verbalize how = he tunes. I also hope that I have not been equally vague in *my* writing. If there is something that I am missing in = Virgil's writings, I would welcome a more precise explanation of this concept of = "natural beats".    </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Sincerely,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Howard S. Rosen, RPT<BR>7262 Angel Falls Ct.<BR>Boynton Beach, = Fl  33437</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><A = href="mailto:hsrosen@gate.net">hsrosen@gate.net</A><BR> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>