_Don Herman
'Chicago School' Forum Moderator
Joined: 11 Nov 2001
Posts: 3344
Location: Monument, CO, USA
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 Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2005 7:00 am Post subject: |
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The pitch standard now is A = 440 Hz (vibrations per second). This is your reference point; all other notes are based upon A = 440. Formerly, A = 442 was common, and once when our orchestra played with bagpipes we had to tune to A = 448 or something like that. It was interesting, especially for those with perfect pitch or very good relative pitch who suddenly found their reference gone... Wouldn't have thought a few Hertz would make that much difference. 
The 440 Hz reference is just that, a reference. Generally speaking, leave it on 440 and forget about it.
A on the tuner means you play B on your Bb trumpet, one step up, just like every other note (C on tuner means you're playing D, Bb menas you're playng C, etc.)
In the real world, a tuner is useful only for starting everybody generally on the same pitch. You have to tune to each other, to the piano if using one (hard to quickly adjust tuning on a piano), watch where you are in the chord, adjust as the temperature changes, etc.
HTH - Don
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Don Herman/Monument, CO
"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music." - Aldous Huxley |
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