Marc Friedland
From:
Fort Collins, CO
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Posted 25 Apr 2010 1:40 pm |
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Below is a post from about 5 years ago.
For those that didn’t see it, even though it was written well over a century ago and is about how to tune a piano, I think it relates to our topics today of tuning a pedal steel..
Tremendous detail, yet written clearly and simply, providing you’re a musician and understand the terminology. Parts of it are definitely over my head, but I’m sure some of you will truly enjoy this.
The cover of the book reads:
“The MUSICIAN’S Hand and Text Book”
Being a
Theory on the Fundamental Laws of Music,
And a
Preparatory Study for Harmony and Composition,
With a Treatment of
Instrumentation, Transposition, Conducting, Accompaniment and Temperament of the Piano.
BY PIERRE V. OLKER
Price $1.00
C. G. CONN & COMPANY,
Elkhart, Indiana
This book, which was written in 1889, belongs to a guitar playing friend of mine.
The part that I copied for you to read below, (please excuse any errors) is How to Tune pianos and Temperament of the Piano.
Other topics include:
Notation
Intervals
Scales
Value of Notes and Rests
Tempo, Time and Rhythm
Syncopation and Up Beat
Grace Notes, the Shake and Cadenza
Analysis of Musical Compositions
Repetition Marks and Abbreviations
Expression
Chords
Imitation, Fugue, Canon, Counterpoint
Arrangement and the Score
Instruments: their Compass and Pitch
Transposition
Musical Compositions
The Teacher, Conductor and Leader
Hints on Instrumentation and Accompaniment
General Remarks
Five Methods for Tuning
234. The art of tuning Pianos is, besides the science of acoustics, divided into two parts, the theoretical part and the mechanical part. The object of this little work refrains from all pretensions concerning the mechanical part of tuning, but simply devotes itself entirely to the theoretical part thereof, which contains nothing new. That which appears new is perhaps more in the treatment of the subject, and not in the practice.
235. It is not absolutely necessary that the Piano tuner should be a thorough and competent musician, but he should certainly possess a certain amount of musical knowledge, to enable and guide him to perform his task in a simple, but intelligent. manner, which will ele¬vate' him above that automatical style of some tuners who seem to be utterly devoid of all theoretical knowledge and perform their work with a sort of accustom-like practice, without stopping to think, or perhaps even be aware of why it is to be so. Their musical ear has, through long years of practice, become so accustomed to listening to diminished intervals, that when they hear a perfectly accurate fifth they would perhaps pronounce it wrong. Practice, when not assisted by theory, is a habit; but when influenced and guided by theory becomes an intellect. To this purpose it is necessary that the tuner should study the two chapters treating on Intervals and Chords, to which may be added those of the Notation and of the Scales, es¬pecially the former two; they constitute the essential parts of tuning. Above all, the tuner must be possessed of a good, true and 'almost natural musical ear. It is a well known fact that there are many Piano virtuosos who are not able to tune a Piano correctly, but we :find in every Piano factory simple workmen and repairers who can play hardly anything, and yet are skillful tuners. Hence the object of this is not only to educate pupils and teach them the principles of tuning, but also to overcome the difficulties and mfJnd the defects caused by a neglectful training.
236. Acoustics is the science and theory of sounds and tones. This science shows that in ascending from C six times, in six consecutive and precisely accurate whole steps or tones, viz.: C - D - E – ¬F# - G# - A# - B#, we will at the sixth step arrive at a tone which is said to be enharmonic with the upper Octave of the starting point C, and which we would naturally suppose to be also in exact pitch with this C. And yet in comparing this B# (being the result of above experiment) with the perfect upper Octave of the starting note C, we discover that B# is somewhat higher than C. The same result would be reached in descending from C in six accurate whole steps. See Example No. 51.
The pitch of double flat D would, in that case, be found a trifle lower than that of the perfect lower Octave of the starting note G No.1, so that in comparing C No.3 (double flat D) with C No.2 (B#) there would be found twice that amount of difference in pitch if the two respective 'tones (Dbb – B#) could be placed side by side on the same degree. (See above). Further, in, building up three major Thirds, and tuning them in their utmost perfection, that is two accurate whole steps between each, taking C for basis: C-E, E-G#, G#-B#, the same defect, or rather difference in pitch between B#: and the perfect upper Eighth of the lower C will be noticed. It is well to say here that such ascending or descending in perfect and accurate whole steps can only be done with the Violin, etc., or with the Voice. All other instruments are tempered, so as not to permit an advance in consecutive and accurate whole steps. And yet a deficiency in the Tem-perament of wind instruments is frequently noticed. The defect does not always show itself plainly within the Octave of two given notes, but it almost always does in the next Octave; like an ill-aimed ball, the further it travels, the more it will depart from its intended mark. A continuous ascending and descending in accurate whole steps would soon result in two notes, of which the difference in pitch would ac¬cumulate enough as to distance the two notes by another additional whole step, besides their separation by Octaves, after leaving the common starting point. .
Experience has shown that of all intervals, the Fifth and the Octave are the ones which the ear is most apt to define and get accustomed to, and they therefore play an important role in tuning. Suppose that the Piano tuner would tune the Fifths within an 0ctave or so with the most perfect accuracy, he would, after the twelfth Fifth, reach a tone, which, compared to its lower Octave, is one-ninth of a tone too high. This confusion is owing to the slight difference in pitch between the enharmonic tones C# and Db, D# and Eb:, F# and Gb, G# and Ab, A# and Bb. The F# is a little higher than Gb, and G# is a trifle higher than Ab, etc.
The diatonic tones, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, are represented by the lower, or white keys, and the chromatic notes C# (Db), D# (Eb), F# (Gb), G# (Ab), A# (Bb), are in all Octaves represented by the upper, or black keys. This shows that each two enharmonic notes, like G# and Ab, etc., are always represented by only one and the same key, and instead of showing a slight difference in pitch like they would on the Violin, always produce precisely the same tone.
To reach this uniformity is the task of the tuner, and this can only be accomplished by properly distributing the over and above one ninth part of a tone amongst the twelve Fifths. Each Fifth, in¬stead of being tuned perfect, is tempered with a slight diminution in the pitch of each, and this process is caned the Temperament of the Piano. It IS not only necessary to. compromise the pitch of the tones so as to obtain correct chords and intervals in one key only, but the system must be such as to mutually modify all semitones contained within an Octave of two given notes, and in letting all of them par-¬take an even portion of the required diminution. The result of tuning the major Thirds and perfect Fifths with the greatest care and without any diminution whatever, would be that all other intervals would be either too high or too low. The number of semitones con¬tained in one Octave is twelve, each one of which is to be modified, diminished and in part canceled by (1 over 108), this trifle fraction being the portion of each semitone, and resulting from the over and above (1 over 9) part.
As a rule all tones lying within the Sixth of the little Octave, and the Third of the two lined Octave are put in order first, after which all remaining tones above and below are tuned in perfect Octaves. The one-lined Octave with its adjoining tones to the right and left are best adapted for the tempering process, as the ear can distinguish the difference in pitch best in this Octave. Experience further teaches that the ear can more readily catch the slowly ascending pitch than the descending, which must be taken into consideration. The Fifths and Octaves are the two important intervals; the former must be a trifle low and the latter perfect. All other consonances, such as per¬fect Fourths, major Sixths and Thirds, especially the uniformity of the major Thirds, serve as a test as to the correctness of the tempera¬ment. The following methods, together with their examples, will ex¬plain what, until now, has appeared indistinct and obscure to the pupil.. |
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