
                                                         CHAPTER 3-1

                              CHAPTER  THREE
        
                       SETTING THE TEMPERAMENT OCTAVE
                               C-28 to C-40
        
             There are many systems a beginning tuner can follow  in 
        order to set a good temperament.  Most of them are very good 
        and if followed accurately will produce the same results  as 
        the system I prefer;  However, I believe the system I  teach 
        is  easier to learn and a higher degree of accuracy is  more 
        probable.
        
             The  system outlined in this course is the one  I  have 
        used  for  a  number of years.  I  recommend  it  because  I 
        learned  by a different method and after experimenting  over 
        the years, I found that I could set a better temperament  in 
        much less time than with any other method.  I hope you  find 
        it as acceptable  as I have.
        
             If  you have my tapes, you will see (hear) how easy  it 
        is  to  set a good temperament AND be sure that  is  a  GOOD 
        temperament  before you move on the tuning the remainder  of 
        the piano.
        
        
                                3 "MUSTS"
        
        1.   You MUST be familiar with everything in this text up to 
        this point before attempting to set a temperament.  Some  of 
        the  more technical information is not required, but  every-
        thing else is essential.
        
        2.   You  MUST practice daily, especially in  the  beginning 
        stages.   The  learning process is very  demanding  of  your 
        time.   You  will not become a good tuner without a  lot  of 
        hard  work.  I will provide the system and personal  assist-
        ance (via audio tapes) - YOU provide the time.
        
             I recommend you obtain, or have access to a piano  that 
        does  not  need  too much (or any) repair.   You  can't  get 
        started  if the hammers won't hit the strings or if  strings 
        are missing etc...  If you have the luxury of practicing  on 
        a new large grand so much the better, but I also advise  you 
        to  spend  a good deal of time on a  lesser  quality  piano.  
        Most of the pianos you will be tuning as a professional will 
        not be "quality" pianos.
        
        3.   You  MUST understand that you will not become  a  tuner 
        overnight.   Some may be proficient in a few weeks -  others 
        will  take  much longer - and some simply do  not  have  the 
        ability to become a professional tuner.  The latter category 
        comprises  a very small percentage of those who  really  put 
        out the effort required.
        
             Very little musical knowledge is necessary.  Pianos are 
        tuned  by listening to and adjusting the vibrations  of  one 
        string  to  another - NOT listening for  pitch.   A  musical 





                                                         CHAPTER 3-2

        background  will help in understanding the theory,  keyboard 
        and  interval  recognition,  but a tuner  relies  on  simple 
        mathematics rather than musical ability.
        
             Once  you have mastered this chapter, you will be  well 
        on your way to calling yourself a "tuner".  
        
             There are numerous illustrations included in this chap-
        ter and will be very helpful to you when your receive  them.  
        Also  the  audio tapes provided to  enrolled  students  will 
        allow  you to HEAR the beats referred to below.  You do  not 
        need  these  illustrations or the tapes, but I sure  wish  I 
        would  have had them when I was first learning.   They  will 
        save you many hours of trial and error.
        
        
                                 STEP ONE
        
        NOTE:   When you are asked to tune an interval, you  are  to 
        play  the two notes of the interval TOGETHER  (harmonically) 
        while listening for the beats.
        
        
             Before  you  begin to set the temperament  octave,  you 
        must do the following:
        
        A)   MUTE THE ENTIRE OCTAVE FROM C-28 TO C-40
        
             1.   Insert your muting strip so all but one string are 
                  muted off.  In the case of a three string  unison, 
                  you  will insert the strip on the left  and  right 
                  sides of the unison.  In the case of a two  string 
                  unison,  it  will be necessary to  insert  between 
                  unisons so only one of the two strings sound  when 
                  the hammer strikes.  Whatever the situation,  just 
                  remember  that  only ONE string from  each  unison 
                  sounds when the hammer strikes.
        
        B)   MUTE  THE TWO OUTER OF C-52 WITH RUBBER MUTES AND  TUNE 
             THE CENTER STRING TO THE C TUNING FORK.
        
             1.   To  sound the tuning fork, hold it by  the  handle 
                  and strike it against your knee.  Place the handle 
                  (stem)  inside  your ear.  Close the  earlobe  and 
                  listen for the pitch.
        
        C)   TUNE C-40 TO C-52 SO THERE ARE NO AUDIBLE BEATS.
        
















                                                         CHAPTER 3-3

        D)   TUNE C-28 TO C-40 THE SAME WAY.
        
           /                                                    \
        
        





           \                                                    /
        
                                illus. 3-1
                          ____________________       
        
                                 STEP TWO
        
                ALL DARKENED NOTES ARE THE NOTES TO BE TUNED
        
        A)   TUNE E-32 to C-28 so that E-32 is on the sharp side  on 
             beatless by approximately 5 C.P.S.  - (Actual 5.19)
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
                                illus. 3-2
                           ____________________
        
        B)   TUNE  G#-36 to E-32 so that G#-36 is on the sharp  side 
             of beatless by 6 1/2 C.P.S.  (Actual 6.54)
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
                                illus. 3-3                        
                           ____________________
        

















                                                         CHAPTER 3-4

        C)   TUNE C#-29 to G#-36 so that c#-29 is on the sharp  side 
             of beatless by approximately 1/2 C.P.S. or 2 1/2 per  5 
             seconds.
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
                                illus. 3-4
                           ____________________
        
        D)   TEST  -  Play  the minor third from C#-29  up  to  E-32 
             followed by the MAJOR THIRD E-32 up to G#-36.  You will 
             find  that  the minor third beats slightly faster  than
             the MAJOR THIRD.
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
                                illus. 3-5
                           ____________________
        
        E)   TEST - Play the interval from Ab-36 (same as G#-36)  up 
             to C-40.  You should hear approximately 8 C.P.S.
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
                                illus. 3-6
                           ____________________
        
        
















                                                         CHAPTER 3-5

                                STEP THREE
        
        A)   TUNE F-33 to C#-29 so that F-33 is on the sharp side of 
             beatless by 5 1/2 C.P.S>.
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
                                illus. 3-7
                           ____________________
        
        B)   TUNE A-37 to F-33 so that A-37 is on the sharp side  of 
             beatless by approximately 7 C.P.S. 
        
        






        
        
                                illus. 3-8
                           ____________________
        
        C)   TESTS:
        
             1.   Play  the  interval  C-28 up to  F-33  (a  perfect 
             fourth)  followed  by the interval F-33 up to  C-40  (a 
             perfect fifth).  These two intervals will have the same 
             beat rate.
        
             2.   Play the interval F-33 up to G#-36 (a minor third) 
             followed  by  the interval G#-36 up to  C-40  (a  MAJOR 
             THIRD).  The minor third beats slightly faster than the 
             MAJOR THIRD.
        
             3.   Play the interval C-28 up to G#-36 (a minor sixth) 
             followed  by  the interval G#-36 up to  C-40  (a  MAJOR 
             THIRD).   The minor 6th & the MAJOR 3rd will  have  the 
             same beat rate.
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
                                illus. 3-9
                           ____________________
        




                                                         CHAPTER 3-6

        D)   TUNE D-30 to A-37 so that D-30 is on the sharp side  of 
             beatless  of  beatless by approximately  1/2  beat  per 
             second OR 2 1/2 beats per 5 seconds.
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
                               illus. 3-10
                          _____________________

        E)   TESTS:
             
             1.   Play the interval D-30 up to F-33.  It should beat 
             at approximately 8 C.P.S.
        
             2.   Play a series of four MAJOR THIRDS beginning  with 
             C-28  up to E-32 followed by C#-29 up to F-33  followed 
             by  E-32 up to G#-36 and ending with F-33 up  to  A-37. 
             These MAJOR 3rds will increase from 5 to 7 C.P.S.
        
             3.   Play  the interval from D-30 up to F-33  (a  minor 
             3rd)  followed  by the interval of F-33 up to  A-37  (a 
             MAJOR  3rd).   Again the minor 3rd will  beat  slightly 
             faster than the MAJOR 3rd.
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
                               illus. 3-11
                          _____________________
        
        
        
                                STEP FOUR
        
        A)   TUNE  F#-34 to D-30 so that F#-34 is on the sharp  side 
             of beatless by approximately 6 C.P.S.
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
                               illus. 3-12

        



                                                         CHAPTER 3-7

        B)   TESTS
             1.   The  MAJOR 3rd D-30 up to F#-34 and the MAJOR  6th 
             C-28 up to A-37 will beat the same.
        
             2.   The series of Major 3rds starting with C-28 up  to 
             E-32 and ending with F-33 up to A-37 will increase from 
             5 to 7 C.P.S.
        
             Play the MAJOR chord D-30, F#-34 A-37. It should  sound 
             pleasing to the ear.
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
                               illus. 3-13
                           ____________________
        
        C)   TUNE A#-38 to F#-34 so that A#-38 is on the sharp  side 
             of beatless by approximately 7 1/2 C.P.S.
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
                               illus. 3-14
                          _____________________
        
        D)   TUNE D#-31 to A#-38 so that D#-31 is on the sharp  side 
             of beatless by approximately 1/2 C.P.S. OR 2 1/2  beats 
             in 5 seconds.
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
                               illus. 3-15
                           ____________________
        










                                                         CHAPTER 3-8

        E)   TESTS
             1.   The  MAJOR 3rd F#-A# will beat  approximately  the 
             same as the minor 3rd C#-E.
             
             2.   The  MAJOR  3rds beginning on D-F# and  ending  on 
             F#-A# will increase from 6 to 7 1/2 C.P.S.
        
             3.   The minor 3rd D#-F# will beat slightly faster than 
             the MAJOR 3rd F#-A#.

             4.   Ascending  Fourths starting on C-F and  ending  on 
             F-A#  and  the ascending Fifths starting on  C#-G#  and 
             ending on F-C will gradually increase in C.P.S.
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
                               illus. 3-16
                           ____________________ 
        
        
                                STEP FIVE
        
        A)   TUNE G-35 to D#-31 so that G-35 is on the sharp side of 
             beatless by approximately 6 C.P.S.
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
                               illus. 3-17
                          _____________________
        
        B)   TESTS
        
             1.   The  MAJOR  3rd D#-G will beat  approximately  the 
             same as the minor 6th C#-A#.
        
             2.   The MAJOR 3rds beginning with C-E  and  continuing 
             up to F#-A# will increase from 5 to 7 1/2 C.P.S.
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
                               illus. 3-18
        




                                                         CHAPTER 3-9

        C)   TUNE B-39 to G-35 so that B-39 is on the sharp side  of 
             beatless by approximately 8 C.P.S.
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
                               illus. 3-19
                          _____________________
        
        FINAL TESTS:
        
             Play all MAJOR 3rds starting with C-28/E-32 all the way 
             up to G#-36/C-40.  They should gradually increase  from 
             5 to 8 C.P.S.
        
             All  ascending 4ths and 5ths should gradually  increase 
        in speed.

             In this chapter, you learned:

        1.  How to mute off the temperament octave
        2.  How to set the pitches in the temperament octave
        3.  All "tests" needed to check your work as you go

        
        TAKE  ADVANTAGE OF ALL TESTS AVAILABLE.  CHECK  AND  RECHECK 
        YOUR  TEMPERAMENT.  MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AS NECESSARY UNTIL  ALL 
        INTERVALS  SOUND  PLEASING AND AS CLOSE TO THE  ACTUAL  BEAT 
        RATE AS POSSIBLE.  NEVER PROCEED ON TO TUNING THE  REMAINDER 
        OF  THE PIANO UNTIL YOU ARE POSITIVE YOUR TEMPERAMENT IS  AS 
        GOOD AS YOU CAN GET IT.

        Press (P) to print out this chapter or ESC for the menu
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