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PRACTICAL PIANO TUNING
By ALEXANDER HART
Formerly with Steinway & Sons Tuning Department, Instructor in
Piano Tuning, Teachers College, Columbia University, N. Y.
Registered Member of the
National Association of Piano Tuners
Notes of Interest on Tuning
T
HE diagram shows the notes on the
staff and how they correspond to
the keyboard chart.
Violins are tuned in perfect fifths.
Pianos cannot be tuned in perfect fifths
nor pure thirds. Tempering through
the use of "beats" makes it possible for
piano tuners to do what is called laying
the bearing, i.e., forming a founda-
tion whereby the intervals can be so
adjusted so as to be pleasing to the
ear, when all the strings are harmon-
who wish to use it. There you can find
books, pamphlets and essays on piano
construction and tuning. Most libraries
have a reference room for study, where
books can be read but not taken out.
However, there is one fine book that
covers every phase of accoustics and
sound. This was written by John Broad-
house and is called "Musical Accous-
tics".
It should be noted carefully that tun-
ing pianos depends on a few attain-
ized and unionized for intervalic rela-
tionships.
When the strings are tuned in per-
fect fifths or just intonation, "B" sharp
which is "C" on the keyboard will be
too high nearing the fifth of a semitone,
that must be divided (as near as possi-
ble) in twelve equal parts or making
each semitone flat enough for C.B#D bb
to sound alike.
Being able to hear and move the pin,
that the string cam be set right at the
spot so desired, that is to know when a
major or minor third, a major fourth
and fifth, and sixth, tenth and octave
harmonize; likewise including inver-
sions of the chords that can be inter-
related into other tonalities, is the real
essence and objective to fine balanced
piano tuning.
After mastering a few chords which
surely can be accomplished by devoting
a little extra time, patience and prac-
tice, we can follow up on musical terms,
but only those defined for piano tuning.
The library is within the reach of all
ments that must be developed through
doing as well as listening, and also
guiding the hand for setting the pin. In
other words, coordination in all direc-
tions.
To sum up: (1) Strike the key. (2)
Listen for the sound. (3) Move the
turning wrench accordingly.
Here is a definition of key. A dia-
tonic scale, of which the notes bear
certain relations to one principle note
from which they all, in some respects,
derived, and upon which they all de-
pend, is termed a key; and the principle
note is called the keynote or tonic.
A cardinal point in the tuning of pi-
anos is to strike the keys, or intervals
and chords, harmonically instead of
melodically.
N.B—"C" sharp and "E" flat when
heard together, sound the same as "C"
and "D". One interval is a major sec-
ond, the other a diminished third. The
musician reads it and hears it as writ-
ten on the staff. The tuner only goes
by the sound.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, JULY,
1953
A little musical notatidh for develop-
ment of the perceptive faculties may
not go astray, for it is quite nice to (1)
distinguish half steps from whole steps;
(2) To familarize ourselves with the
notes or tones of the scale; (3) To dis-
tinguish intervals and their tone dis-
tance; (4) To understand the major
and minor mode; (5) To be able to
find chords and the inversions and real-
ize their position in the key.
The violinist, although his ear is at-
tuned to perfect intervals, especially
the fifths, unknowingly intones them by
using his fingers on the frets.
He has the advantage over the piano
tuner because his violin is with him
wherever he happens to be, and can
tune it himself and as often as he
chooses to do so.
To avoid becoming too involved with
intervals, it is best to follow them by
steps.
The C to E an octave below middle
C is a major third with five half steps.
A below middle is a minor third with
four half steps. Until you can thor-
oughly acquaint yourself with the key-
board maneuvers, it is best to count
half steps.
Now count the half steps for a fifth.
There are eight. Count down from oc-
tave C—there are only four half steps.
This proves that minor keys can be-
come major keys with the use of the
half step.
As you can observe on the diagram
A b is major on both sides of the minor
sixth. E and C is bounded by two ma-
jor thirds.
Let us review what we have been sug-
gesting regarding intervals and how we
can proceed to alter some of them nec-
essary for equal temperament. Diagram
5 must be taken as an example for the
diatonic major scale—Middle C is a
fixed tone—and remains so. E is al-
tered to such a degree that it is not
possible to describe in words.
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