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Honky-Tonk Piano Tuning
By Steve Bentley

To remark on the certified piano tuners, it is natural that they
recommend tuning once per year -- minimum -- because it is their
business to promote that.

Taking the expression, "A full sound..." -- was it not a full
sound when the tuning was A-435?  When I purchased my large upright
'player' made in 1918, the pitch was quite low, maybe around A-435.
So to bring it up to A-440 I did three tunings, raising the pitch at
intervals towards the A-440.  After six months the piano settled
down at A-440.  But in all cases it had the 'full' sound.

Some pianos do not stay in tune for very long due to factors like the
piano construction and temperature changes which increase and decrease
the length of the cast iron plate which will pull and decrease the
string tension.

This piano tuning and reconditioning was done in 1982. I have only
tuned it twice since that time.  Now that it is an orchestrion and
playing various kinds of music -- from rags to Dixieland to marches
and light "classic and tango melodies", it still sounds good!

I agree with Robbie, a honky-tonk tuned piano is a 'beast' within
itself and one of the three treble stings is tuned slightly lower.
The "Musette" sound in an accordion is made by one set of reeds tuned
slightly lower.  I had my accordion tuner make my 'musette' to tune
it lower still, and sounds good now.

We cannot help the persons who are tone deaf; there's no use mentioning
them and it is difficult to imagine what they really hear.  They may not
appreciate music like others who are not tone deaf.

Steve Bentley - SB-Music Rolls
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

 [ I think "tone deaf" folks enjoy the honky-tonk music just as much
 [ as others do, but maybe in a different way.  -- Robbie


(Message sent Tue 3 Jan 2017, 20:22:45 GMT, from time zone GMT-0800.)

Key Words in Subject:  Honky-Tonk, Piano, Tuning

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