tuning story

[SGrossner@aol.com]

She explained that he came in, opened up the piano, set an old brown Conn
>(tube-type) Strobo-Tuner on the top, plugged it in and swung open the
>front. The dial started gyrating, he played a few notes, and said he
>would take that cup of coffee she offered now. Then he sat with her in
>the kitchen and talked for about 20 minutes. Then he went back out into
>the living room, played a few notes and chords, looked at the tuner dial
>gyrate around for aminute or two as he did, and pronounced "its done".
>He had given it "the lifetime tune".

      Perhaps irrelevant, but I once was called back to correct the tuning I
had just done. The gal told me over the phone one of the notes was "low".
Upon arrival, she played middle c and then d above it. She told me that d was
lower than c, and shouldn't it be higher? I realised a music lesson was in
order. I asked her to sing do re mi fa so la ti do in its familiar ascending
pattern. I played the c as a starting note. After she had done it correctly,
I was able to point out that the pattern on the piano matched it. She was
grateful. her husband thrust a book in my hands as I left with $10 for the
music lesson. "Changed my life!" he said. She sounds like a candidate for the
hands-off strobe approach. Incidentally, the guy with the strobe may have
been a great tuner! Just disillusioned perhaps. Great story.
Sam Grossner, Chicago.