In article <960728202605_371898654@emout10.mail.aol.com>, A440A@aol.com writes > >To which Barrie replies; > >>Thanks Jim >>I knew it would be controversial subject on the list but I didn't >>realise I would get so many private emails as well. Thanks. > > I would like to ask Barrie what was the general consensus among his >private emails, I am not asking for specifics or names, just a general image >of what the controversy looks like these days. > ( I was tuning aurally for many years before arthritis forced me to >reduce what hand abuse I could, I got a SAT and kicked myself for not doing >it earlier!! ) > >Regards, >Ed Foote >Precision Piano Works >Nashville, Tn. > Hi Ed, First of all I should explain a little more why I asked the list the question in the first place. In the UK there is growing concern among piano tuners who have spent three years or more training to be a piano tuner. That along comes Joe buys his tuning aid on Monday and sets himself up as a professional tuner on Tuesday. >From what I have observed from the list and private emails, the above suspicions are ratified on some of the grounds listed below. 1. The overwhelming majority believe that the accu-tuner and similar products in the correct hands is a very useful tool. 2. One of the best features is its ability to store tunings, this seems to be of great use to those who are tuning in Colleges and Universities practice rooms. 3. The Accu-tuner cannot be used to tune a piano accurately if the person whose tuning it is totally deaf. 4. The overwhelming majority said that they were oral tuners before they moved on to electronic tuning and still tweaked the tuning oraly. 5. It would appear that tuning small uprights and baby Grands you need a PHD in computer science to calculate octave stretching on the accu- tuner. 6. Less accurate electronic tuning aids are cashing in on the accu- tuniners reputation and these elctronic tuners are ginving the general public a false improession of tuners with tuning aids who do an inferrior tuning. My personal observation I feel that the US. is very much more geared up to part-time courses and correspondence courses and support from fellow tuners than the UK. as the overwhelming majority of piano tuners in the UK. tune orally, I do not think a person setting up with an electronic tuning aid will receive much support from the piano tuners in the UK. However, in time, this could change. At present I personally know of only one who uses electronic tuning aids and have since found out through the list, he is an agent for them. I do believe that the accu-tuner is a useful tool in the right hands going by the passionate belief of the list. However, I also believe that poor marketing can have serious reproductions on the general publics' confidence of the piano tuning fraternity if these machines are allowed to be purchased by any one. Luckily for us in the UK. there is a movement in the EEC. to make it a law that all trades men and professionals entering the general publics' homes must belong to a relevant professional body and have the relevant qualifications. Until this happens I don't think you will convince the majority of piano tuners in the UK. that the accu-tuner is the best thing since sliced bread. Unless of course they are using it them selfs. The accuracy The claim of 95 per cent accuracy is probably correct on the theoretical fundamentals. However, since the operator needs a great deal of skill to calculate the octave stretching. Then the claim that electronic tuning aids give a consistent tuning is unfounded. If the operator is not an experienced user and does not know how to set the machine correctly then therefore, the tuning will not be constant. I know this is not the fault of the machine but the fault of the operator but it would seem from the list and the fact that seminars are run that this is a common problem. This of course does not distract from the fact that the tuner appears to be a useful aid. But on the training that is given when one purchases a tuning aid. This is a personal observation and does not represent the views of any organisation I am associated with. Kind regards, Barrie. -- Barrie Heaton | Be Environmentally Friendly URL: http://www.airtime.co.uk/forte/piano.htm | To Your Neighbour The UK PIano Page | pgp key on request | HAVE YOUR PIANO TUNED
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