Conference napalm::commusic_v1

    Concert A is around 440Hz.  It is used as a tuning reference so that
    all the instruments in a group can be in tune together, kind of like
    calibrating a set of laboratory signal generators.  otherwise they
    would play din instaed of music.
    The range of the piano is like you know 27.5 to about 4100 hertz.
    The range of a flute is about 256 to 2050 hertz.
    Tom

    When I was in orchestra, we had to tune to the instrument most likely
    to be out of tune.  If there was a piano, we tuned to it.  If there was
    an oboe, we tuned to it.  The default was to tune to the concert master
    (1st violinist), unless there was a substitute teacher.  In such a
    situation, the first trombonist would tune with the sub's instrument of
    choice (piano, oboe, violin) but have his tuning slide out an extra
    half-inch or so and "lip up" to be in tune.  Flat by a half- to
    quarter-tone, all other trombonists would tune up with the 1st
    trombonist who would lip normally.  The result was that the entire
    trombone section would be in tune, but half- to quarter-tone flat
    relative to the rest of the orchestra.  This works well, but it's hard
    for the trombonists to avoid blowing it by not keeping straight faces
    while the sub attempts to get us back in tune, starting by tuning the
    1st trombonist with the oboe or whatever (he lips up) and comparing the
    tone of the 1st trombonist with each section member (he lips normally).
    
    Steve

    You have, of course, heard that there is a serious move underfoot
    by some pretty big names to have "concert A" reduced from 440 to
    426. (I'm not sure if this is the exact number, I thought they were
    saying 426, but it might have been 436).

    The reason was that the lower A was more "natural" feeling to the
    human voice. NPR was doing a bit on this and played two orchestras
    doing the same piece at the two different pitches. It -was-
    different in a side-by-side, and the A/440 version did sound sharp
    at that point.

    426 would be a quartertone lower.  Sounds unreasonable to me.  436
    maybe.  Who's gonna retune all those pipe organs, xylophones, and
    other untunable stuff?

    A=400, A=438, A=426. make up your mind, I'll adjust my synths
    accordingly.
    
    I always thought a 'concert' note referred to the absolute pitch of a
    note. For example: if a Bb Trumpet plays what is scored as a 'C' on his
    score, a Bb sounds. The 'C' note on his score is thus referred to as
    'Concert Bb'.
    
    dp 

    By the way, organs are NOT 'untunable'. Most of them would lead you to
    believe that because of the way they sound, but this is not true. The
    diapason pipes (round metal ones) have caps that can extend them, and
    shorten them. The stoppers on stoppered wooden pipes are adjustable.
    And the reeds have tensioners which tune the reed.
    
    dp

	I read somewhere recently (though can't remember where) that the move
	to bring Concert A 'down' is because over the last few centuries, it's
	been steadily raised to give orchestras a 'better sound'.
	
	In the chart I saw, it said that Concert A was originally around 
	420 hz, I think, but now, hundreds of years later, it's up to about
	460 hz on the average for big name orchestras.  The big-time classical
	buffs are trying to 'protect' the original arrangements by bring 
	the note back down.

	Dan

   I wouldn't worry just yet.  Lyndon Larouche was one of the great musical
   strategists pushing for the change.  Perhaps A=440 is a commie plot to
   strain and corrupt the voices of our divas?  First they got Callas, then???

   Enjoy,
   Dave

    Don't those ne'er_do_goods at Roland tune to 442hz?
    
    Edd

    
    re: .6
    
    Organs may be tunable, but you can spend a LOT of time on even a small
    organ, tuning it. How many pipes in your average organ? No wonder they
    are out of tune half the time.
    
    /pjh

    re .9 - yes, the Roland standard is A = 442Hz.
    
    len.