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TECHNICAL^SUPPLY DEPARTMENT
William Bra\dWh\te,rec/inicalEditor
An Interesting Tuning Method Devised by
Charles E. Richardson, of North Andover
A System That Should Be Read, Studied and Discussed, for It Is a Novel One and One That
Deserves Real Attention—Filing Grand Piano Hammers—Another
Article in the Grand Piano Regulation Series
EADERS by this time will have had some
opportunity to familiarize themselves
with the rather novel suggestions towards
a more convenient method of tuning in equal
temperament made by Charles Richardson. In
order to hold the thread of his argument closely
enough to assure fair understanding, I am giv-
ing the remainder of his remarks immediately.
His final comments relate principally to addi-
tional tests and to some interpretations which
he has felt to be necessary to the due compre-
hension of his method.
Dominant Seventh Tests
Concluding, then, Mr. Richardson says:
"Many tests and checks, easy to use, exist for
each step of the temperament method I have
described. Those who like chord tests will find
some interest of a practical nature by trying
the interval which composes the chord of the
dominant seventh in its fourth position. I say
'practical' interest because these intervals, if
they are tuned correctly, are identical in beat-
ing so far as hearing can determine. Theoreti-
cally they do show average differences amount-
ing to about 13/100 of a beat per second, the
sixths being faster. Disregarding this imper-
ceptible difference, then, we find that the outer
(or top and bottom) notes of the chord beat
the same as the two inner notes.
"For example, we take the dominant seventh
chord on E. In its fourth position this gives
D, E, G sharp and B. The interval D—B (a
sixth) will beat the same as the interval E—G
sharp (a third).
"The first chord to be tried thus will be E,
F sharp, A sharp and C sharp. The next will
be E flat, F, A, C. Then D, E, G sharp, B, and
then F, G, B, D.
"While this chord test can be used in other
methods it is especially available in mine, being
located among the easily heard beats. These
chord tests are merely used as auxiliaries also,
if we take the chord in its third position, then
the two upper notes (major thirds) will beat
nearly the same as the two lower notes (minor
thirds).
Postcript
"It seems that estimates of beat rates by
comparison are surer than others. One may
know what beat rates are required, but while
fourths and fifths can be estimated very nearly
correctly, thirds and sixths are known mostly
by experience, not by actual counting, which
from their speed is practically impossible. Let
the interval of (say) a major third be set,
and then ask any good tuner whether it is
right. From experience he will know intuitively
if it is. Ask how many beats it has, and" he
might guess. Ask another tuner and he might
say it has more. Another might say less. And
so on. Beats more rapid than three or four
a second cannot in most cases be estimated cor-
rectly; but only guessed at. On the other
hand, take a third or sixth and compare it
R
with another one. Then one can tell imme-
diately whether it is faster or slower. Especially
is this so if they be adjacent. On thirds and
sixths therefore comparison checks or proofs
are more important (practically) than trying
to count the beats in any method of tempera-
ment setting. In this A-fork temperament
method given, comparison tests are abundant
and adjacent. Notice that in the F-F system,
the first beat comparison test is after four notes
are set; F-A with D-F. In my method they
come after two notes. In the F-F method, the
first interval comparison in immediate juxtaposi-
tion comes after eight notes: F sharp to A
sharp. After five notes have been set in my
method there begin the adjacent comparisons.
These valuable tests are not available sooner
in the C-to-C method than in mine. While
comparison tests help, even though there may
be intervening intervals between (as the E to G
with D to F in the F-to-F system) this is
guessing. Such guessing is eliminated in my
A-fork method.
"This A-fork formula was evolved and
worked out before it was used to tune with, thus
corroborating your idea that theory should pre-
cede practice. And, relative to the need of a
new temperament method, as per your state-
ment in The Review of May 22, 1926, I think
myself the answer is between Mr. Hales' method
and mine, etc. (C-to-C and F-to-F methods), a
fair trial of my method given here (D-to-D, A-
fork temperament) will convince any one of its
unusual merits in that direction! I did not
intend to write so much, but you know, 'Brevis
esse laboro, obscurus fio!'—Charles Richardson,
North Andover, Mass."
Comment
Mr. Richardson is a Latinist and his con-
cluding sentence contains a deep truth. For
the benefit of those who have no Latin I trans-
late him (freely): "When I try to make it
snappy, I don't get my meaning across."
In these days, when there is a craze for pre-
digested knowledge of the patent medicine,
health-by-swallowing-a-pill kink, it is refresh-
ing to read the work of a man who is not merely
not afraid to say exactly what he means but
also ready and willing to take the necessary
space to say it as it should be said and to
William Braid White
Associate, American Society of Mechanical
Engineers; Chairman, Wood Industries
Division, A. S. M. E.; Member, American
Physical Society; Member, National Piano
Technicians' Association.
Consulting Engineer to
the Piano Industry
Tonally and Mechanically Correct Scales
Tonal and Technical Surveys of Product
Tonal Betterment Work in Factories
SPECIAL SUMMER COURSE
June 1 to August 6, 1926
PIANO TUNING—ACTION
REGULATING AND REPAIRS
CO-OPERATIVE PIANO TUNING SCHOOL
The T. M. C. A. of Philadelphia
1421 Arch Street
References
to manufacturers of unquestioned
position in industry
For particulars,
address
209 South State Street, CHICAGO
defend his thesis with thorough and complete
argument.
There is, of course, not the least reason why
one should not tune just as well from A as
from C, and undoubtedly Mr. Richardson is
quite right when he says that most musicians
feel more at ease when talking in terms of the
A pitch.
Another point must be noted briefly. Mr.
Richardson will undoubtedly perceive that at
times I have taken some slight liberties with
his wording, but this has been in each case be-
cause the meaning as originally expressed was
to me not quite clear. Particularly I have con-
sistently edited the passages in which the author
originally spoke of his method as "a tempera-
ment." Strictly speaking, there is only one
"temperament" in tuning and that is the Equal
Temperament, which is not a method, but a
principle. Any scheme, whether that which 1
have set forth in "Modern Piano Tuning" or
that of Mr. Hale, or, again, that of Mr. Richard-
son, is rightly speaking "a method" and as such
should be described. Consistency may be a
rare virtue, but it has its value in scientific
matters.
And, now, if my scientifically minded readers
will only get busy and let us have the benefit
of their criticisms, I am sure that Mr. Richard-
son will be just as pleased as I shall cer-
tainly be.
Filing Grand Hammers
At the conclusion of the previous article in
this series on grand action regulating I was say-
ing that some attention must be given at the
point reached to the proper filing of hammers.
So much misunderstanding seems to prevail nn
this point that not even the most experienced
reader will blame me for attacking it again.
Felt is felt, and being what it is, piano ham-
mers retain their original shape, density and
resiliency only for a comparatively short time.
Most of the pianos of which my readers will
wish to regulate the actions are old enough to
possess hammers already more or less flattened,
hard and out of shape; that is, they are from two
years of age and upwards. The tuner's instinct
in such cases appears to be towards immediate
treatment with the sand-paper file. It is unfor-
tunate that the practical results of so much en-
thusiasm are often anything but successful.
When one undertakes to treat a set of worn
hammers, the first consideration must be "how
much can actually be accomplished in the case
at hand?" A set of hammers may be so badly
flattened out that no amount of filing can of
itself restore their shape. It is not always
recollected that treatment with the sand-paper
file does not, of itself, accomplish more than the
removal of one or more layers of felt from the
surface of the hammers. If this be skilfully
done, the effect may be to restore the original
oval form to some extent, but the more the
head of the hammer is flattened out the less
can the original shape be restored by such a
process. And one of the bad features of the
case is that tuners often carry the filing process
much too far in an effort to restore external
shape, even going to the length of cutting away
a great deal too much of the felt.
It should first then be laid down as an axiom
Tuners
and Repairers
Our new illustrated catalogue of Piano and
Player Hardware Felts and Tools is now
ready. If you haven't received your copy
please let us know.
OTTO R. TREFZ, JR.
2110 Fairmount Ave.
35
Phila., Pa.