My 10-minute tuning in practice!

[btrout@desupernet.net]

Hi all,

I had opportunity to use the 10 minute tuning today.  (All by ear... I
don't have an ETD yet... been thinkin' about checkin' some of 'em out
though...)

Had a small Kawai grand (5 foot or so) which I had an hour and a half to
tune, in an auditorium in a local high school..  Upon arrival, I
discovered that it was about a quarter step flat in the middle, and
progressively worse up to the top at about a half step flat.

So I decided to try that 10 minute pitch raise I've been hearing about,
followed by a good tuning.  (Actually, I was interrupted several times,
so it was probably closer to fifteen minutes.)  I tuned it about 3
cycles sharp in the middle, and made sure I had 2 or 3 good beats in
every octave I tuned all the way to the top.  Tuned the bass pretty
close to right, and followed quickly up the scale with the unisons.
Nothing precise at all, just 'throw it in somewhere'.

Got interrupted again for a few minutes by the sound man who came to
find an intermittent problem with the PA system.

Proceeded to do a 'good' tuning.  Finished in about an hour and fifteen
minutes, and still had time to play a few numbers and remove Eight!
pencils from the action.  (Did I mention this was a high school
auditorium?)

The thing that was remarkable to me was how Terrible this thing sounded
before I started, and how Great it sounded just a little over an hour
later.  It was like it just 'fell' into place.

I've been hearing that it comes out better with two quick tunings than
fighting with one long one when they're flat like this.  It's just now
that I'm finding out just how true this is.

Thanks for the threads on this topic.  They gave me a push in the right
direction.  (Sorry if it seems a little boring to those more 'seasoned'
tuners out there,  but it's pretty neat to me!)

Best wishes to all,

Brian Trout
Quarryville, PA