Re: OT: high-precision tuner app

[Wols Lists]

On 26/05/16 10:43, Olivier Biot wrote:
> 
> 
> On Thursday, 26 May 2016, Michael Hendry <address@hidden
> <mailto:address@hidden>> wrote:
> 
>     I seem to have struck an interesting chord, here!
> 
> 
> Definitely!
>  
> 
>     Another phenomenon about which I have doubts involves people who
>     claim that when they hear music in “sharp” keys (e.g. G, D, A, E)
>     their experience is of brightness, while the flat keys make for a
>     more sombre sound. I’ve even heard in a radio interview that this
>     applies to F# and Gb (the one bright, the other dull).
> 
> 
> I experience the same from a string player's perspective. But in my
> humble opinion it is a combination of 2 factors. One depends on
> harmonics induced in the instrument played, the other is a more
> subjective element: often 'sharper' keys tend to play music at a higher
> pitch too, which results to brightening of the music played. Maybe
> because a lot of written music wanders around the natural scale of the
> clef, which goes up 1 full tone per 2 extra sharps (circle of fifths).

Don't forget, G# and Fb are NOT the same note. And once you move away
from percussion instruments (yes, the piano IS a percussion instrument)
most instruments can tweak their pitch. Okay, instruments like the
orchestral strings and the trombone can play an infinitely variable
pitch, but - in the hands of a good player - pretty any much instrument
can vary the pitch to some extent. I've heard of brass players who could
"bend" the pitch by over a tone!

So any orchestra or band will tend NOT to play "well tempered", and that
could explain the brightness or dullness.

Cheers,
Wol