While this is totally off-topic, it really is, there are questions in my mind about this supposition.? I’m not saying it’s wrong, just having some logical questions coming up about this presumed phenomenon that I can’t square in my tiny brain.

1.?????? Most of the strings on a piano have no windings.? So how can tracking on windings be part of the blame where no windings exist?

2.?????? If the ‘windings do not track’ then where are they going?? They must be going somewhere and therefore relative motion between core and windings would exist.? ?

3.?????? If there is relative motion, won’t this produce collisions and extraneous noise? Or at the least, rubbing and scraping?

4.?????? In the many strings without windings – the higher notes – stretch tuning is certainly required.? How can this be?

5.?????? In Equal Temperament, there are no ‘fundamentals’ across the keyboard as every note is the same. ?How can there be a “reference” string?

We agree that Stretch Tuning is needed – I’m just trying to come up with a reason that withstands scrutiny.

Of course, my reason of “it’s just our ears vs. Equal Temperament” is hardly conclusive, either.

There is a range (usually straddling a point near Middle C, true) called “the temper” of notes that are tuned to specific interval beats, but not the octaves.? The octave between Middle C and the C-above (C5, 523.25Hz) ?is almost always tuned without beat.? A few others usually down to G3, likewise.? Then Octave tuning with applied stretch in both directions of all the notes.

Of course, this is old-school.? Modern strobes allow this to be done visually.? Recently, I’ve seen junior tuners using their phone apps with no stretch at all and wonder why the piano just doesn’t sound right.? Seems to be a dying craft.?

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