Greetings,
I don't tap pins or strings, usually. What I have found effective is
a very light press on the string, directly behind the distal bridge pin and
then in front of the proximal bridge pin, with the tip of my tuning hammer.
This is against the direction of the wire's curve as it comes off the
bridge pin. This is not downward, but rather, into the pin. It straightens
the wire's meniscus (the slight curvature in the wire). Even old pianos
often go flat and improve when this is done. Almost invariably, there is
anywhere from a .5 to 1.5 cent drop,(newer strings drop more than older ones).
Not only do I notice an improvement in stability of tone,(easily
seen in the SAT display), but it is amazing how many false beats disappear when
I do this. I surmise that there is a better tone coming out of a string
when the restorative force of the curve is removed. The same thing happens
when I straighten out the downward curve at the capo or agraffe. This
curve will never completely resolve itself by the simple tension, since the
closer it gets to straight, the less effect the tension has to straighten it.
To "train" carbon steel, one has to exceed its deformation limit. With 170
Lbs of tension on the wire, it takes very little force to actually make the
string leave the pin with a curve in it. In this case, the outer
circumferance of the curve as it goes around the pin must stretch a little more
than it would by simply being pulled tight around the pin.
I do this as I tune. It is quick, simple, requires no tools other
than the one in hand, and makes tuning easier, tone better.
regards,
Ed Foote RPT
http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
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