PERFECT PITCH

The Forte-Piano was invented over three-hundred years ago by the Italian, Bartolomeo Christophori. Only three of his instruments remain. The genius of his creation subsisted in hammers “striking” the strings rather than “plucking” them. This yielded the ability to play both loud and soft, generate more tone, and enable it to mix well with other, more sonorous instruments. Over the past three centuries, this instrument evolved into the Pianoforte which became a more impressive and complex sounding instrument, capable of wider dynamic range, and improved touch and tone. It can accompany a full, symphony orchestra! Since the middle of the 19th century, piano engineering has remained relatively unchanged in it’s complex, yet straight-forward design.

While today, most every piano technician tunes their clients’ pianos in Equal Temperament, this has not always been the case. An overabundance of historical temperaments exists. Equal Temperament is a grand compromise, and has its roots in the findings of the Greek mathematician, Pythagoras. He determined the frequency of the interval of a pure fifth registered more than half of the interval of a pure octave. Playing up the scale by pure fifths to the end of the keyboard yields a higher frequency than the same path traveled playing pure octaves. The difference in these frequencies is called the Comma of Pythagoras, and musicians, and tunings, have adjusted to this variance by “tempering” the intervals of the octave and fifth. The octave is “stretched” and the fifth is “contracted.” This is called tempering and leads to equal temperament.

As a result, musical intervals (thirds, fourths, sixths, and octaves) possess unique tonal qualities. An interval in keyboard music from the past might sound awkward to our modern 21st century ears. Strictly pure intervals, exhibited by some other instruments, do not exist in the tuning of a piano.

Composers were excited to gain the possibility of equal temperament. Prior to the 20th century composers, different keys retained unique tonalities, depending upon the temperament employed, which they sometimes related to colors. It is fascinating to listen to a well-known piece of music performed in the original temperament in which it was written.In the 1920’s, an international standard pitch (A4, middle A) of 440 hertz was established. The government broadcasts this pitch, note A49 on a keyboard instrument, at midnight GMT each day. Mozart composed during a period when keyboard instruments were primarily tuned to 415 hertz, one note (half-step) lower, and the Beatles variously chose to perform at 435hertz, and the “Grunge” rock scene used to tune their guitars lower than other instruments in the band.The crucial aspects of a musical tuning are pitch, clean unisons and octaves, and properly tempered intervals. A competent technician endeavors to “set” the tuning pin and equalize the tensions over the different bearing points of the strings, thus assuring a stable and reliable result. Technicians rarely, if ever, receive compliments specifically about setting the temperament (laying the bearing), yet it remains the determining factor of the musicality of the tuning.

A good tuning improves the tone of a piano and bestows a clarity to chords and melodies. A client may describe the tuning as being more “open.” Regularly serviced pianos maintain pitch, and harmonious intervals. This preserves the quality of the piano, and keeps it acclimated to the home or concert hall. Six months remains a good interval to sufficiently maintain high-quality instruments, played regularly by adept pianists. Several years for less utilized pianos of common design is acceptable.