maverick@fir.berkeley.edu (Vance Maverick) (07/14/90)
In article <147775@felix.UUCP>, daver@felix.UUCP (Dave Richards) writes: > I have two sources that contradict each other regarding the fundamental fre- > quency of Middle C. One says 261.62 Hz, and the other says 523.25 Hz, an oc- > tave higher (both based on A=440 Hz). Which one is right? > > Also, is it called Middle C because it's in the middle of the piano keyboard, > or because it's located between the bass and treble clefs? > > Dave > ...!hplabs!felix!daver ...Or is it between the clefs because it's in the middle of the keyboard? :) <cl> (* 220.0 (expt 2.0 .25)) 261.62555 <cl>
ROGER@pucc.Princeton.EDU (Roger Lustig) (07/14/90)
In article <147775@felix.UUCP>, daver@felix.UUCP (Dave Richards) writes: >I have two sources that contradict each other regarding the fundamental fre- >quency of Middle C. One says 261.62 Hz, and the other says 523.25 Hz, an oc- >tave higher (both based on A=440 Hz). Which one is right? 261.62. That's 2-foot, or middle, c. (An open pipe 2 feet long produces what used to be called C, and which was right around 256hz. Which makes all kinds of computation very simple!) >Also, is it called Middle C because it's in the middle of the piano keyboard, >or because it's located between the bass and treble clefs? Yes. We use the treble and bass clefs for piano music because they divide up the keyboard nicely into traditional left and right hand ranges, right around the middle. Roger Lustig (ROGER@PUCC.BITNET roger@pucc.princeton.edu) Disclaimer: I thought it was a costume party!
gene@dept.csci.unt.edu (Gene De Lisa) (07/14/90)
In article <147775@felix.UUCP> daver@felix.UUCP (Dave Richards) writes: >I have two sources that contradict each other regarding the fundamental fre- >quency of Middle C. One says 261.62 Hz, and the other says 523.25 Hz, an oc- >tave higher (both based on A=440 Hz). Which one is right? > The former >Also, is it called Middle C because it's in the middle of the piano keyboard, >or because it's located between the bass and treble clefs? yes. -- Gene De Lisa "Ducking for apples--change one letter and it's the story of my life" Dorothy Parker(1893-1967) (spoken at a halloween party)