rct Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 There was an effort to raise the relative frequencies of (not yet called) concert pitch in the 15,s 16, and 1700s so instrument makers could make higher pitched instruments that were "brighter", or as we would say today, "cut through the mix" better. But vocalists didn't like it, made it too hard. It was actually called pitch inflation, should still be in the history books I guess. Then there was a pitch for vocalists along with the instrumental pitch. And there was cantata, which was...both pitches played at once I believe. Crazy sh1t. Wasn't until the 1900s somebody came up with 440 or so being a standard for A, and even today it isn't stuck to like glue. I don't know why A was chosen as the indicator. "Concert pitch" is an important pair of words. It ALWAYS and MUST refer to a non-transposed instrument, piano or organ for instance. So a middle C is just that on a piano, Middle C. But to other instruments it is a Bb lets say. So the other instruments not only get to master their own, they get to spend much of their time transposing from non-transposed music. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 I have flirted with Baroque music on occasion...J S Bach and many others.... And play a little 'traverso' baroque flute...just like the celtic flutes in Irish music etc And who'd have thought it They tune to A 415 hz So one can purchase flutes, recorders etc pitched at A 415 as well as A 440 Isn't life interesting?.... V....Air Lutenist... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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