Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum Schubert concert tune

I have contacted quite a few piano tuners in South Africa,
and none of them know what I am talking about if I mention above tuning. The piano is a Grotrian Steinweg Mod 185.
Is there any literature I can give the tuner that will enable
him to do this tuning? (even with electronic tuning)
de Villiers

Where did you hear about it? What context?

Greetings,
There is a tremendous resource at Jason Kanter's site. Rollingball.com

I wouldn't call it Schubert tuning, but rather well-temperament. I have a number of words written for one side of the controversy at my web sites, listed under my signature line.
Hope that helps
Regards,

This is the Holy Grail tuning of Perri Knize's book _Grand Obsession_.
She has a Grotrian Steinweg piano.
You can hear it on http://www.grandobsession.com/
There is no historic connection with Schubert.

If any of the techs use the Verituner software or electronic tuning device, I can give them information to emulate the tuning in the book.

In aural terms, the temperament is set a bit narrower than normal to get a little sweeter sound to the thirds. (favoring a 4:2, balanced with a 2:1 - about 70% 4:2 and 30% 2:1)

Going up, transition to a pure 4:2 octave by A5. By A6, lean towards the 4:1 double octave - about 60% 4:1 and 40% 4:2. Transition to a 4:1 double octave by the top

Going down from the temperament, start bringing in the 6:3 to fully transition to a pure 6:3 by A2 - balance between a 4:2 and 6:3 to guide the transition. Going down to A1, start leaning towards the 4:1 double octave - 80% 4:1 by A1. For the bottom octave, lean towards the 12:6 octave for depth - about 75%, checked with the 6:3 about 25%.

The above is based on the the electronic tuning file for her specific piano. I used that to set a tuning on another piano of the same model - close serial numbers. Then used the Verituner balancing function style creator to match the stretch the best I was able.

Ron Koval

That's the first time I've heard anyone speak of "Treble Temperament". Very informative. Every aural technician should be making conscious decisions on how they are tuning treble octaves, IMHO, even if it is the same way each time. In the very least, it produces consistent stretch from one tuning to the next, saving on tuning time.

In the book written by Peri Knize "Grand Obssesion"
a piano tuner Marc Weinberg tuned a Grotrian with
a Schubert concert tune

de Villiers, what temperament do you usually have your piano tuned in?

What part of South Africa are you from?

Regards,

My good friend and colleague Marc Wienert created the "Schubert Tuning".

It is something that exists between Marc and Perry and it is a specific tangible result.

I am familiar with what Marc did for Perry, though I would recommend talking to Marc about it, presuming he is willing.

My tuner says he tuned the piano with an equal temperamant. Also said something about 4.2.
I live on the East Rand Gauteng

Well, Ron Koval, in one of the earlier posts has given some advice on how to go about tuning what you are looking for. So, hopefully your tuner can assist you.

All of the best,

Like any of the differing stretch approaches to setting equal temperament on a piano, the effect can vary based on the listener. To most, there won't be any difference heard, or it may be a very subtle change. To the author of the book, the effect the tuning had on her was enough to go looking for again; to find the tech that had been doing the tuning for the piano store...

An aural tech can approximate the result by just favoring 4ths over 5ths when setting the temperament - and then expanding out favoring double octaves over single octaves.


Ron Koval

Thank you all for the informative and knowledgable replies
to my post. My tuner contacted Ron Koval, and he will be tuning the Grotrian Steinweg in the near future.
Without your help, I would have always wondered about
the tonal quality of the Schubert concert tune.
de Villiers

I think the skill of the pianist and basic tonal quality of the piano are incredibly more important than the type of tuning used.

If that is the case, why are instruments tuned at all, and why have musicians and composers agonized over tunings for hundreds of years? The music that composers write presupposes some form of organization of the relations between notes that they want to hear and expect the listener to hear. Is it not our job to try our best to provide that foundation on which to perform their music?

Tuning and temperament methodology can indeed have a profound influence on "composer intent." Yes, the instrument is the medium but the tuning is the foundation. Can you imagine Debussy in Quarter Comma Meantone? Eekk!

In a very basic sense, this is true. But so much added pleasure, for the listener and performer alike, is derived when the instrument receives a tuning which is "from within the piano" rather than "applied to it." The best of tuners listen to the instrument and don't just go by the numbers on an ETD.

Even ET is tempered. Some attempts are better than others.

I think pianoloverus may have been referring to a "type" of temperament rather than quality of tuning.

I believe that the two things are completely intertwined. Whether ET or UT, a good tuner brings out those "little extras" which may be inherent in a fine piano, but have never been drawn from, or tended to, in the instrument.

Hello All,

I spent the day in Manhattan NY yesterday with Marc Weinert. I mentioned this thread and the comments.

So far, what is described here is not the "Schubert" tuning. Marc suggested I mention this here.

It is unlikely Marc would be inclined to post here.

Guessing is not likely to come up with the correct answer. Perhaps Perry would be willing to say something here.

Ron K will do a very good tuning but not the Schubert tuning.

.

Larry