That's very interesting. I still have to ask though (and it IS a genuine
question) - how did they tune to those standard pitches?
Did a clarinet maker in the area say "I'll make my clarinet to be in tune to
Fred's serpent, he make's good ones"?
Most "standards" are set in various ways (like a size being the length of
the King's foot or similar) and then having something made to check
everything else again (like the standard measures held in the Jewel Tower)
and all other measures are compared against this to ensure uniformity.
I suppose it would have to be something untunable - like a cast bell (yes, I
know they can be tuned ) from which the idea of a tuning fork originated
(rather than the idea of the city organ which had to be tuned to something
in the first place).
Unlike pitch pipes, a tuning fork is pretty well stable (reeds in pitch
pipes can go out of tune over time).
As establishing frequencies was yet to come, I keep wondering what the
instrument makers tuned to.
Maybe one maker made all the instruments in a band or got together with
other makers so they played in tune with each other.
A bit of a chicken and egg situation.
I'll stop asking questions.
I'll find a copy of that book and read it.
Colin Hill
----- Original Message -----
From: "Philip Gruar" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>; "Dartmouth NPS" <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2011 11:29 PM
Subject: [NSP] Re: Tuning/pitch
----- Original Message -----
From: "Julia Say" <[email protected]>
This can also be seen on some modern sets (various makers), although I
have been
taught to put a rod down the bore before drilling to prevent it
happening! (And had
the bore inspected closely to check I'd done so!)
Sets have been observed where the maker has absent-mindedly drilled right
through
the far side, I believe.
Whereas I can't claim NEVER to have touched the far side of the bore (a
good tune title?) I'll just say that with care, a flat-ended drill and
delicacy of touch, there should be no need for rods down the bore. You
just stop the drill before it goes too deep!
Answering Colin's earlier post:
until the invention of the tuning fork, there was no "set" or
"standard" pitch as such.
In fact, according to the latest research (Bruce Haynes' fairly definitive
book "The story of A - a history of performing pitch") even in the late
16th/early 17th century there were three main standardised pitches
generally recognised across Europe, and the fact that there were only a
few centres where the best wind instruments were made helped to determine
this - but it's a complex subject, best summed up in the biblical
quotation "He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith".
Very interesting discussion though. Thanks for all the contributions.
Philip
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