<div dir="ltr">I became aware of differences in tuning when singing. A pianist I played with liked to finish a tune by playing I - bVI7-I. If we were in the key of C, that would be C-Ab-C. If I held the note C, I could feel a physical "pull" in my larynx when the Ab chord was played, even though the note C was the same. My instincts were that the note was not the same over an Ab chord. When the chord of C was again sounded, the tension in my larynx resolved.<div>Joe Carbery.</div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Tue, Nov 19, 2019 at 12:13 PM philwilking <<a href="mailto:philwilking@cox.net">philwilking@cox.net</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">That is an example of the difference between "Tempered" tuning and "Just" <br>
tuning.<br>
<br>
It happens because our nervous system does not really want to hear <br>
absolutely even percentage differences of frequency going from one tone to <br>
another, but a simple mechanical device can't be made to "tweak" tuning "on <br>
the fly" without becoming hopelessly complicated.<br>
<br>
So a G Sharp is really a very sharp G, but not quite up to halfway in <br>
frequency between G and A, and an A Flat is really a very flat A, but not <br>
quite down to halfway in frequency between A and G. So really, every time <br>
you modulate between keys, you should stop and retune all keyboard and <br>
fretted instruments. Good luck with that. In reality, adjacent keys in the <br>
cycle of fifths are only a teeny bit different in frequencies, so you can <br>
usually get away with sliding around between, for example, F, C, and G. But <br>
the farther afield you go from your base tuning (C in this case), the more <br>
out of pitch you sound.<br>
<br>
This is why some keyboard instruments such as harpsichords had multiple <br>
manuals. Each manual could have its own strings tuned to a given key.<br>
<br>
Even before J. S. Bach (died in 1750), efforts were underway to get around <br>
this problem. Eventually it was figured out that if you make all the sharps <br>
a tiny bit sharper and all the flats a tiny bit flatter, you can use one key <br>
or fret for both the G Sharp and the A Flat and so on. And most of the <br>
audience can't tell the difference. However, a good musician can hear it. <br>
The error gets worse the farther from the center of the keyboard you go.<br>
<br>
You can demonstrate it for yourself using a freshly tuned high quality piano <br>
or (better) a high quality electric keyboard which is set to "Equal Tempered <br>
Tuning."<br>
Strike any key which sounds in the middle of your voice range. Strike it <br>
several times to set the pitch in your mind. Now, starting on that pitch, <br>
sing the child's "I know more than you do" chant: "Nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, <br>
ny-ah, ny--ah." Try to find the last "Ny--ah" on the keyboard. The <br>
difference in pitch between your voice "Ny--ah" and the closest tone on the <br>
keyboard is the difference between "Just" and "Equal Tempered" tuning. Your <br>
nervous system, left to itself, will use its own frequency choices, not <br>
something designed for a machine.<br>
<br>
Phil Wilking - K5MZF<br>
<a href="http://www.nolabanjo.com" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">www.nolabanjo.com</a><br>
<br>
"Only two things are infinite:<br>
the Universe and Human Stupidity.<br>
And I am not sure about the Former."<br>
Albert Einstein<br>
<br>
-----Original Message----- <br>
From: Robert Ringwald<br>
Sent: Monday, November 18, 2019 13:29<br>
To: philwilking<br>
Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List<br>
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Sarah Vaughan<br>
<br>
Ken,<br>
<br>
I've heard that there is a difference between an A flat and G sharp. Having<br>
never studied music theory, can you tell me what the difference is. I wonder<br>
if I could hear it. <br>
<br>
<br>
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</blockquote></div>