Music Trade Review

THE
14
THE TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT
(Cont inued from page 13)
trful by far, and that they fully determine the
pitch of the complex sound, leaving to the others
only the function of quality modification. In
the covered bass strings, however, and the more
so the further we go downwards in the scale,
this ideal system ceases to exist. ,"Ie find that
Ihe fundamental whole-length vibration becomes
le ss and less powerful , and that the upper par­
tials tend more and more to usurp its place.
The weighted string is incapable of performing
pos itive and definite whole-length vibrations
after the moment when the upper partial move­
ment begins to develop strongly. This critical
point comes very rapidly, within not more than
1/ 100 of a second ~ The covered strings, there­
fore, are distinguished for their poverty in pitch­
determination and their richness in co lor.
Methods for Tuning Bass
For these reasons it is very difficult to tune
the covered strings accurate ly. In fact, in man y
pianos it is imposs ibl e to tune them at a ll witll
any approach to accuracy. The tuner finds that
all his acc ustom ed landmarks have disappeared.
He is reduced to the extremity of guessing
wildly, unless he can find some other landmarks
of equa l authority to serve as guides and to take
the place of those others to which he has been
accustomed to look but which are no longer
present.
To a certain extent it is possible to discover
these needed new guide-posts and some hints
towards the discove'r y are here submitted.
Expe rience at once shows that it is impossible
to tune the bass s trin gs satisfactorily by octaves
on any method of direct comparison of beats.
When the two sounds appear to be without
beats, a test will show that the lower one is
hopelessly out of agreement with a ll the other
intermediate intervals. It is, therefore, neces­
sary to proceed to more delicate t ests. The first
of these sho uld be the test between the octaval
complementary intervals, minor third and major
six th . For quite a long way down the scale,
sometimes to a point as low as C (two octaves
below C 3), it is possible to hear the beats '
lo si n g steadily in rate, until at the lower limit
of audi bility they are as s low as two per second.
So long as these bea ts can be heard clearly
their coincidence in freq uency denotes a good
octave without interference to beats directly
produced between th e two numbers of the
octave.
The Tenth Test
Another very va luabl e test is by th e descend­
ing tenths. The interval is taken from the upper
tone of each octave, and thus ends at a major
third below the lower tone. It is mainly useful
in showing any sudden deviation from correct
tuning. As the tenths descend th eir frequen cy
slowly decreases. When several bass strings
have been tuned it is ve ry convenient to run
down a ser ies of t e nths involving these tones.
By so doing one may determine any s udden
change in frequency of beats. If, instead of a
constant decrease in frequency, we find that the
series is intermittent with s udd en risings and
failings we know that there is error somew here.
If, as we run down the scale, we come across
a tenth which is too fast, we know that the
upper tone of the octave is too high. For the
tenth is merely an octave third and when the
beats betwee n its members follow eac h other
rapidly ~ve know that th e upp er member is
sharp This is simply another way of saying
that the low er member is too fiat. Per contra,
if the beat frequency is too small it m ust follow
that the lower member (the tone being tuned)
is too sharp.
The tenth test can sometimes be followed
down to a lmost the very end of the piano's
compass. Nearly a lways it can easily be carried
to A, an octave above the lowest tone of the
scale.
Indirect Chordal Tests
A third form of test can be used which, how­
ever, is not quite so direct or so efficient. That
is the test by comparing th e tuned ton e with
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
the members of the common chord of which it
is the root. This does not give' any direct means
o f comparison, but if the ot her members of the
chord are taken an octave above their ordi nary
p lace we shall have a very clear guide to the
accuracy of the root tone. If it is either too
h iKh or too low to even a small extent there
will arise a g rumbl ing and grow lin g which w ill
tell the tal e at once.
Las tly, double octaves can also be used. They
give an indirect guidance only, beca use more is
n eeded than the direct estimation of beats .
They a re useful only as c hecks when other tests
have been made. Curiously enough, however,
the double octave tests are often very useful in
the lowest parts of the scale, say, for the la st
six degrees.
Tuning Directly
The tun er who will attempt to foll-ow these
ru les will find that, by putting out of his mind
the belief that he can tune bass octaves di r ect ly
by mere beat elimination, he may put him se lf
in the right menta l position to accept and make
use of the tests su ggested . One cannot tune
bass octaves by direct estimation because the
coinciding partial tones of first and seco nd par­
tials a re too weak to act as accurate pointers.
The partials which do ex ist in sufficient strengt h
are tho se of \vhich the coincidences give rise
to beats in tempered thirds, sixths and tenths.
That is why these inte rvals mus t be use d for
tests in this deli cate work a nd why they achieve
successful resu lt s.
I _
CORR_ESPON~ENCE
_
_ _
.._
_ '-1
is solicited and should be addressed to William
Bra id , Vhi te, care of The Mu sic Trade Review,
v,'estern Division, 209 South State street, Chi ­
cago.
w.
BENTLEY STEVENS OPENS
DEEP RIVER , CONN ., November 5.- The formal
opening of the W. Ben tle y Steve ns Music Shop
was held here rec e ntly. Souvenirs were given
to patrons attending the re ce ption .
NOVEMBER 10, 1923
CHECKING PARCEL POST PACKAGES
,­
Accurate Record of Insured and C. O. D . Par­
cels Will Prove of Value in the Settlement
of Claims Against Post Office
"V.\SHI NGTON, I). C, Kovember 6.-Business
men throughout the co u ntry are urged by the
Third ;\s sis tant Pos tma ste r-General to keep an
accurate re co rd of a ll insured and C O. D. par­
cels received by them or originall y mailed by
them a nd ret urn ed as unde liverable. Such a
record, it is pointed out, would not only be a
protection to th e patron, but would also assist
the po,t office in settling claims and in ascer­
taining the reason for return without delivery
of an undue number of parcels. A number of
cases have arisen whe re the number of parcels
returned as und eliverable was of too hi g h a pro­
portion, but the department' is unable to ascer­
tain the reason for · such non-delivery in cases
where an accurate reco rd is no t kept. Th e post
offices throughout the country have bee n in­
st rue ted to keep a< com pI ete a record as pos­
sibl e and to sec ur e the co-ope rati on of patrons
who a lso shou ld keep a re cord, thereby per­
mittin g the se rvice and the patron to get to­
get her for the determination of causes of failure
to make deliveries.
CHANGE IN SPRINKLE CO. MANAGERS
-'
RICHMOND, VA., November i-Po E. Lot:.:,
form erly manager of the Sprinkle Piano Co.
store in \ Vinston-Sa lem, N. C, ha s taken charge
of that company's store in that city, succeeding
C. H. Nokes, who has e nter ed anot her field of
business. E . R. Woolri d ge, formerly assistant
manage r of th e "Vinston-Salem store, has now
be en placed in full charge as succe ss or to Mr.
l.otz.
NELSON MUSIC CO. CHARTERED
-'"
FULLERTON, CAL., Nove mber 3. - Pape rs of in­
corporation ha ve bee n fi led here for the Ne lson
Music Co.
KLEERNOTE
~
TRACKER BAR
SUCTION
PUMP
The only thorough and efficient
Tracker Bar Suction or Vacuum
Pump. Absolutely essenti!!.1 for remov­
ing dirt, dust and paper particles from the
tracker bar. Keeps the instrument in proper play­
ing condition, preventing weak and silent notes.
We al·e prepared to make
Special Prices to Dealers
and Tuners.
Illustrating the quantity of lint, dust, etc., taken
out of a player-piano. It is this dust and lint tha t
prevents perfect playing and causes silent notes.
HAMMACHER!I SCHLEMMER & CO.
PIANO AND PLAYER HARDWARE, FELTS AND TOOLS
NEW YORK SINCE 1848
4th Avenue and 13th Street
;h-.