I think one of the unstated issues is the loudness of one's tuning technique. Very hard strikes, which I virtually never use, would seem more likely to be ear-threatening than softer strikes (which I use). I imagine there's some controversy over which is better, but I know it's possible to tune a piano well without hard strikes. I'd say that my tuning is quieter than an average person practicing. My guess is that if you play the piano long and loud on a regular basis, that would cause hearing loss. Also, tuning with certain pianos in certain practice rooms, as Greg mentioned, can definitely stress the ears. There's also the question of how sensitive we are to dangerous sound levels. I feel my ears are irritated by sounds *far* below 120 db, and all my life I've trusted my irritation to inform me of excessive db. I suppose it could be like thirst, which isn't generally considered to be an accurate indicator of the need for hydration. I've noticed during exercise, especially mountain hikes, that I tend to drink far more water than my friends, who often say they drink only when they feel thirsty; but I think I may have trained myself to be more sensitive to the symptoms of needing water. The analogy I'm struggling to make is that through increased awareness or simply native sensitivity, one can be more "attuned" to damaging sounds just as one can be to one's need for water. Whatever the reason, since I was a young child, I took to covering my ears in the presence of loud noises when others appeared indifferent to them (still do -- for instance, barking dogs). So far, at age 50, I've experienced no hearing loss that I'm aware of. The last hearing test I took, when I was 46, resulted in the proclamation that I had "superb hearing," so I don't feel the incentive to start using noise filters while tuning pianos -- though I could see that changing if I found myself in certain environments, such as Conrad was describing. Best, JeffO
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