Re: [Harp-L] Re: A-432

[Trip Gmail <trip.tunes@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Rex, the backstory here is pretty straightforward, nothing nefarious. This inquiry is not for me but for a friend of mine who is primarily a guitar and a mandolin player who performs lots of prewar acoustic material. There is a subset of these people who like to tune down to 432 Hz because they believe that it sounds better.

Regarding your statement about people retuning in order to make it difficult for people to participate in Jams I've heard that done with the hammered dulcimer, one of the few instruments that gets even less love than the harmonica in the old-time music community, though when it's played well it's always welcome. 

I have heard stories about times at old time festivals where a hammered dulcimer player approaches a session everyone quickly retunes so that the unwanted player has to go off and tune to match them, then as they return to the group everyone tunes back to 440 before he gets there and upon hearing how out of tune they still are they go away....tough room as they say!

Sent from my iPad

> On Dec 24, 2014, at 11:59 AM, rex <rexg4@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> I would want to know their motives for the retune. Are they trying to save vintage instruments, go easy on old fingers, get an "authentic" sound? That might be worth your trouble. However, I have heard of tuning outside of standard to prevent others from jamming along. The intruder can't find the key, gives up and moves on.  I wouldn't waste my time with an unfriendly jam.