tuning piano practice in US in 1854

test post 3:30 PM 3/12/15

in 1854 an entry on "bearing notes" in an Ecyclopaedia of Music
published that year:

"In the tuning of keyed instruments, harps, &c, bearing notes signify
those notes between which the most erroneous or highly-tempered fifth
is situate, on which also the 'wolf' is said to be thrown. Many tuners
begin at C, and tune upwards, through the progression of fifths, C, G,
D, A, E, B, Gb, Db, and Ab, and then stop and begin again at C, the
octave above the former note, and tune downwards, through the fifths F,
Bb, and Eb, and thus the resulting fifth Ab, Eb, produces 'bearing
notes''; owing to each fifth having been made more or less flat than
the system of twelve notes will bear, the least sum of all their errors
or temperaments being the 'diaschisma'. Some tuners are in the habit
of throwing their 'wolf' into the fifth Ab, Db, and others into that of
Db, Gb, which last, as being nearest to the middle of the whole
progression of fifths, seems its most appropriate place for general
use."

Ralph David Hill
ascend11@...

Dave - just confirming that I got your message and that it got sent to the
list correctly.

Thanks,
Mike

On Thu, Mar 12, 2015 at 5:35 PM, ASCEND11@AOL.COM [TUNING] <
TUNING@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

>
>
> test post 3:30 PM 3/12/15
>
>
> in 1854 an entry on "bearing notes" in an Ecyclopaedia of Music
> published that year:
>
> "In the tuning of keyed instruments, harps, &c, bearing notes signify
> those notes between which the most erroneous or highly-tempered fifth
> is situate, on which also the 'wolf' is said to be thrown. Many tuners
> begin at C, and tune upwards, through the progression of fifths, C, G,
> D, A, E, B, Gb, Db, and Ab, and then stop and begin again at C, the
> octave above the former note, and tune downwards, through the fifths F,
> Bb, and Eb, and thus the resulting fifth Ab, Eb, produces 'bearing
> notes''; owing to each fifth having been made more or less flat than
> the system of twelve notes will bear, the least sum of all their errors
> or temperaments being the 'diaschisma'. Some tuners are in the habit
> of throwing their 'wolf' into the fifth Ab, Db, and others into that of
> Db, Gb, which last, as being nearest to the middle of the whole
> progression of fifths, seems its most appropriate place for general
> use."
>
>
>
> Ralph David Hill
> ascend11@...
>
>
>
>