Bell pitches

[Dickon Love]

Bill H:
> The trouble with this scheme, for example, is a peal of 8 in F# with 
> slightly squiffy tuning which might have to be described as F#, Ab, 
> A#, B, Db, D#, F, Gb which doesn't make a lot of musical sense - it 
> will offend or confuse musicians while conveying no more to non-
> musicians than F#, G#, A#, B, C#, D#, E#, F#.

I totally agree. That is why I said that this applies only to the key 
note of the ring. A ring is a musical instrument designed to conform 
to some sort of scale, so it would be more accurate to describe each 
upper note in terms of that scale, and only then comment on how out of 
tune it is.

> One more point to make about F# vs Gb: if you construct the various 
> scales using the cycle of fifths I seem to recall that Gb is 
flatter, 
> not sharper, than F#, in many temperaments. In this case the correct 
> order of pitches is F, Gb, F#, G.

Also true, but if the F#/G# is the tonic, it doesn't matter, and it is 
only the tonic I am talking about.

What I am seeking to achieve is some consistency in the way I refer to 
keys of bells. Saying "these bells are traditionally in Db rather than 
C#" simply doesn't do it for me. Saying "Since the tenor is marginally 
flat of C sharp I will refer to it as D flat" is much more comfortable.

Glad Bill was able to contribute on this one (I hoped he would!).

DrL