11/25/2023 0 Comments Old alarm clock soundswith the ability to identify exactly the pitch of a tone. The pitch would probably only be noticeable to someone with absolute perfect pitch, i.e. Hmm, isn't Thyme a musician too? Anyway, he's right about tuning. And that is why a clock gong need not be tuned to any particular pitch or frequency. But neither would the sounding of one single note be considered music. If there were only ONE note being sounded by one sole sound generator and no other sound generator is involved (such as a clock gong), there would be no need for any standard or for doing any tuning. Not because it will sound any better than it would if it were 443 (or whatever) but simply because there needs to be a harmonic standard that everyone else will tune to. If the piano is tuned to a 440 A, that will be the standard observed. When there is a piano involved however, the orchestra must tune to the piano - for the simple reason that all the other instruments can easily retune themselves, but the piano cannot. (Modern orchestras often prefer and use a sharper "A", more like 442 CPS or more, because it supposedly gives a 'brighter' sound.) It's entirely a matter of preference, and it has nothing to do with "impurity". The "A" the oboe sounds and that the orchestra tunes to is often NOT a 440 "A". In most cases an orchestra tunes to the oboe. An even more relevant example would be that of a piano, playing in a concert with an orchestra. As you mentioned (as with a banjo or a guitar) a musical instrument must be in tune with itself and the other notes it generates, hence the need for tuning it. Harmony (or dissonance) can only have relevance in the sounding of more than one note. You mentioned harmony, and you are correct. Achieving a "pleasant sound" has nothing to do with pitch (frequency). Tuning a single pitch instrument such as a gong (that is not playing or sounded with any other instruments) to conform to a standard of pitch is totally irrelevant. It aint easy and I did all this just for me but since you asked, here it is. When you reach it, its almost magical and will produce a rich mellow perfect pitch sound that you will hear for years to come and each time it strikes a rewarding sense of acomplishment. You are going to have to go down the pitch scale since you cannot lenthen the coil, and you must sneak up on it by cutting small pieces off and rechecking. They are hard but will cut with good pair of wire cutters. I do this by nipping the end off the coil. You are lookin for 440 vibrations on the tuner. I use a guitar tuner placed inside the clock. Adjust lift to one hammer height (this controls volume) keep it low, and a square strike on the coil. I like the adjustable hammers with a screw to allow movement. Hammer needs to strike the gong at about 1/2 in. After you get the leather piece in, pound it on the table a few times to flatten it out. Sometimes it is nessasary to chew it in your mouth a min or two. Drill and dig out the old hard leather, most of the time the hole looks threaded and you can screw in a new piece (Timesaves has the part) Trim off all but about 3/16. Then the hammer, leather works best for a soft pleasant tone but the nylon tips from hermle chimes works well too. thick.(same wood used to make guitars) Fasten with 3 brass screws on each end and small nails on the sides if possible. If its split, replace it with a Birch or furr panel 1/4 in. Most old mantle clocks sound like someone threw a brickbat at a trash can.įirst thing to do is work on the sound board(bottom of clock) It must be fastenten properly, 4 old rusty loose nails with split holes will NOT do. I have spent many hours experimenting with gongs, chime rods and bells.
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