The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-08-28
The Truth About Piano Tuning

! In 4 certain musical respect. The
piano is different from all other IN
struments. 1t is curious circum-
stance. We'll known to experts in
/ musical acoustics. that certain parts
! of the pianos scale must not Dr
Tuned TOO perfectly. The intervals
! of tone distances" ." between certain
, keys OF notes, must be slightly shed
! eG from absolute perfection of har-
! nony; that is, certain intervals
! throughout the Keyboard must be
! made actually, though. .imperceptibly,
out Cl tune, in order that the finish
! ed general effect may be harmonious
and pleasing.
1t is popularity supposed that the
| expert tuner does his work with
nothing more safe or certain to guide
! him than sole reliance upon that part
OF his hearing sense which deals on
| ~ with direct pitch appreciation.
his false notion is not confined 10
the lay public alone. but is shared by
Il surprising number of fine musiciane
professionals even; people who have
perhaps spent d lifetime amid musi-
cat surroundings, yet no may never
have taken the trouble TO inform
! themselves concerning the actual de-
tails OF technique OF the art of tun-
! ing. Such persons are usually
bIankly ignorant Of the vital fact
that the properly executed Job OF
tuning is never arrived at by ear,
or in other words, is never secured
by direct attention to the pitch itself.
The scientific tuner ignores entire
~ all musical sensation Wnen setting
his temperament. He concentrates
all OF his attention upon the rapidity
OF sound beats in certain intervals.
In fact. he shuts out from his conSci-
BUSINESS, all musical effects, because,
III setting scientific temperament, it
Is Just as much an error to tune GER
tain intervals too perfect as it is to
tune them too imperfect.
For this reason the tuner who re-
lys upon musical effects frequently
becomes confused. He will almost
invariably make certain intervals
too smooth, thus committing an er-
ror. Ignorant of the laws of scien-
tlhc temperament setting, he is un-
able to locate his error. He is help
less as ship at sea without a rud-
der.
Scientific piano tuning furnishes a
most beautiful Illustration of how an
apparently difficult problem is rem
dered simple and easy through the
employment of natural physical laws.
The properly trained tuner takes ad-
vantage OF a simple we'll known law
OF acoustics, wholly non-musicaI in
itself, tie observance of which rigid
~ and automatically compels abso-
lutte correctness in the pitch results
he seeks, without need or call for
any final direct attention whatever
to the pitch itself. This law is
known as the law of sound beats.
W hen two musical tones which are in
absolute harmony with each other
are both sounded at once, nothing is
neafd but the clear, smooth, blended
musical sensation of the two notes.
II. however, very minute deviation
from absolute perfection OF harmony
be introduced into the interval, by
lmperceptibly sharping Or fiatting
one or another of the notes, there
VIII be heard a second sound effect,
wholly independent of the musical
sensation. This effect is a peculiar
throbbing of the tone; a succession
OF SLOW, regular, pulse-like varia-
tions in the loudness of the blended
sound. These rhythmic pulsations.
or alternate reinforcementS and dim
lnutonS of sound intensity, are sci
known as sound beats.
Now, the scientific tuner, IN the final
operations OF setting his tempera-
ment, shuts out from his conscious
ness all musical sensation. He total
ly ignores all direct consideration OF
pitch, and instead concen-
trateS his whole attention upon the
sound beats. If the beats have GER
tain rapidity, he knows his pitch
must OF necessity be in certain
definite condition. But not only do !
the beats measure with microscopic |
eXactIess the prescribed degree of |
the sought for pitch diviation; they
also furnish in piano tuning an In
falllble proof or test as to whether |
the intended diyiation has been made !
in the right direction. Thus the |
sound beats are to the tuners ear as I
the microscope is to the eye.
KARL MCBRIDE. /