the remainder of the temperament is accurate, this E, in the chord in
which E acts as tonic or fundamental, will be found to be too flat,
and its third, G sharp, will demonstrate the fact by sounding too
sharp.

The following suggestions will serve you greatly in testing: When a
third sounds disagreeably sharp, one or more fifths have not been
sufficiently flattened.[E] While it is true that thirds are tuned
sharp, there is a limit beyond which we cannot go, and this excessive
sharpness of the third is the thing that tuners always listen for.

[E] In making these suggestions, no calculation is made for the
liability of the tones tuned to fall. This often happens, in which
case your first test will display a sharp third. In cases like this
it is best to go on through, taking pains to temper carefully, and
go all over the temperament again, giving all the strings an equal
chance to fall. If the piano is very bad, you may have to bring up
the unisons roughly, inuring this portion of the instrument to the
increased tension, when you may again place your continuous mute and
set your temperament with more certainty.

The fundamental sounds better to the ear when too sharp. The reason
for this is the same as has already been explained above; namely, if
the fundamental is too sharp the third will be less sharp to it, and,
therefore, nearer perfect.

After you have gone all over your temperament, test every member of
the chromatic scale as a fundamental of a chord, as a third, and as a
fifth. For instance: try middle C as fundamental in the chord of C
(G-C-E or E-G-C or C-E-G). Then try it as third in the chord A flat (E