Thomas,
You're correct about hearing habits. I might
only add that in some places, we know that pitch was
considerably _higher_ than A440. The idea of pitch in
olden days was very relative across the board from
region to region, so there is bond to be quite a bit
of variation to be found in surviving instruments.
Chris
--- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> Dear Jon,
>
> one can approximate the tuning of a certain time and
> certain region for
> instance by using the surviving instruments with
> fixed pitch as example
> (organs, flutes etc.).
> I think the idea that the "carry" (as you put it) of
> sound would decrease
> with a lower pitch is a legend based on hearing
> habits formed in the
> romantic period.
>
> Thomas
>
>
>
>
>
> "Jon Murphy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> am 01.02.2005
> 10:06:27
>
> An: <[email protected]>,
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Kopie:
>
> Thema: Re: Antwort: RE: Gutsy stories
>
> Thomas,
>
> As David said, high tension = thick string, given a
> pitch. But I yet
> question the pitches involved. We are all aware of
> the rather large
> differences between the a's in different systems -
> but somehow we have an
> actual frequency for them. I'm sure there is good
> evidence for the actual
> pitch frequencies, perhaps comparative working of
> the instruments that can
> be "pitch evaluated". But they didn't have
> "sillyscopes" to measure the
> absolute frequency back then, although they could
> hear the relative
> differences.
>
> Perhaps the whole musical world was pitched lower in
> the old days.
>
> David's point is valid, the guage of the string
> doesn't influence the
> "breaking pitch" (which he details) - the string
> material does that. So if
> the holes are smaller it just means that they were
> using lower tension for
> the same pitch (on the assumption that they had no
> space age materials).
> The
> lower tension adds some overtones (within limits),
> but reduces the "carry"
> of the sound. There are a lot of trade offs, but I
> suspect that the overall
> perception of pitch was different.
>
> Best, Jon
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: <[email protected]>
> Sent: Monday, January 31, 2005 3:26 AM
> Subject: Antwort: RE: Gutsy stories
>
>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Dear Rob
> >
> > the implication of smaller holes in the bridge
> would be either the old
> > lutenists used a higher tension than we do or the
> strings they used would
> > be made of a different material. I've read
> somewhere in an article
> guessing
> > the gut strings would be different from our modern
> times gut strings
> > (assuming environmental influences). I think this
> is somehow plausible
> but
> > still guesswork. Or is there evidence for this?
> > So I would think they used higher tension.
> >
> > Best wishes
> > Thomas
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > "Rob MacKillop" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> am 30.01.2005
> 09:20:54
> >
> > An: "'Lute net'" <[email protected]>
> > Kopie:
> >
> > Thema: RE: Gutsy stories
> >
> > A luthier once told me that many of the original
> bridge string holes are
> > too
> > small for the diameters we choose for 'modern'
> gut. Is this true, and if
> so
> > what are the implications?
> >
> > Also, many luthiers drill bridge holes on their
> instruments for wound
> > synthetic strings, and when you decide to
> experiment with gut, you too
> will
> > find that the holes are too narrow. On two
> occasions I have had to have
> the
> > holes widened.
> >
> > There is some connection between these two
> paragraphs...
> >
> > Rob
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Edward Martin [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Sent: 29 January 2005 20:20
> > To: Michael Thames; LGS-Europe; Lute net; Edward
> Martin
> > Subject: Re: Gutsy stories
> >
> > No argument here. The extended bass length is
> precisely for that
> > purpose.......with the longer basses, the required
> strings will
> necessarily
> >
> > require a smaller string diameter. I am uncertain
> if it gives more
> volume
> > and sustain, but for sure, a better clarity of
> pitch and sound. These
> > instruments were designed for gut strings.
> >
> > ed
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > To get on or off this list see list information at
> >
>
http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
> >
> >
> >
> > CONFIDENTIALITY : This e-mail and any
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> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
> CONFIDENTIALITY : This e-mail and any attachments
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