The tuning fork was invented in 1711 by John Shore (d. 1752), the renowned musician, instrument maker and trumpeter to the English Royal Court and favorite of George Frideric Handel (1685-1759). Before this innovation musicians requiring a standard musical pitch had to rely on wooden pitch pipes, which were rather unreliable being much affected by changes in temperature and humidity. The tuning fork, in contrast, holds its pitch across a wide range of environmental conditions and in addition produces a very pure tone.
Musical significance
The tuning fork has played a vital role in defining at least two aspects of modern music. First, it was instrumental in the quest to establish national and eventually international standards for concert pitch (the familiar A=440Hz). Second, the tuning fork was central to the attainment and popularization of the now universal equal temperament keyboard tuning system - a defining feature of contemporary Western music. The tuning fork has also formed the central sound-producing function in several musical instruments such as in the modern Fender-Rhodes electric piano.
Scientific history
Although invented for musical purposes in the early 18th century the tuning fork did not fulfill its true potential until the latter half of the 19th century, by which time it had become a precision scientific instrument of some importance. The musical issues mentioned above could not have been addressed by musicians working on their own; they also required a detailed scientific understanding of the relationship between frequency and perceived pitch and of the physical properties of vibrating rods and plates, and the rise of scientifically accomplished technicians and instrument makers. Many of the key figures in this history were accomplished musicians as well as scientists.
The tuning fork continues to be of musical utility, but since the development of electrical technologies in the early 20th century it has fallen out of use in science. One exception is in medicine where tuning forks are still used in the diagnosis of hearing disorders.
Key historical figures in tuning fork history
Ernst Chladni (1756-1827)
Ernst Chladni, often refered to as 'the father of experimental acoustics', was the first scientist to systematically investigate tuning forks, using his famous powder method to reveal the patterns of vibration on vibrating objects. Chladni's work on vibrating plates, rods and tuning forks was driven and informed by his passions for music and musical instrument design.
