ETD's, calculators and the exam

[Kevin E. Ramsey RPT]

     I agree with Willem, somewhat.. The current tuning test is set up in
such a way, that even if someone regularly uses an ETD to tune with, they
must have a pretty good idea of how to tune aurally. I've heard "old timers"
say that they want to keep their membership dues up to date, just because
the exam is a lot more difficult now than it used to be.
    I regularly tune with an ETD, but I passed the tuning exam with an
average score of 98%.
    I really think that if someone is a good aural tuner, buying and using a
SAT can really take your tuning to the next level,,,,, provided you know
what you're doing. I think most of the objections to ETD's on this list are
to people who DON'T  know how to tune using them, and just "stopping the
lights". "There, it's correct, see, the lights say so."  It's that kind of
behavior that gives the machines a bad name.
    Again,,,,my $.02
----- Original Message -----
From: <Wimblees@AOL.COM>
To: <Pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2000 4:57 PM
Subject: ETD's, calculators and the exam


> ETD's, calculators and the exam
>
> Some ramblings about the subject of ETD's and the exam. The original post
> dealt with some complicated math problems that a computer solved, and how
it
> might be time for the PTG to consider using ETD for the exams. One person
> told the story of how the CPA exam now allows the use of a calculator. One
> member said it was important to know how to tune by ear, in case the
machine
> broke down. I mentioned that the ETD is only a tool, and unless one knows
how
> to use it properly, it does no good.
>
> The use of the calculator on the CPA exam brought to mind something that
> happened to me 20 years ago. At the time I had a "secretary" who's duty
was
> to deposit checks. At the end of one particular week she added up 25
checks,
> each averaging about $35, and came up with a total deposit of over $1500.
I
> looked at the amount and questioned the total. The secretary had not
realized
> there was a mistake. After all, she said, the calculator added the
numbers,
> so it must be right. She did not know enough to realize that 25 time $35
> doesn't total any where $1500. After checking the tape, she saw that two
of
> the entries were $350, instead of $35.00.
>
> The calculator the CPA uses makes doing the arithmetic easier, and in some
> aspects, more accurate. But he should also know enough basic math to know
if
> a mistake was made somewhere along the line. That doesn't mean he has to
do
> the whole calculation without the use of a calculator. (I know, the
argument
> is that if the calculator broke, he could still get the job done. Trust
me,
> an accountant will get another calculator before he will spend time adding
> the numbers by hand). A tuner who uses an ETD to tune a piano can probably
> do it easier, and in some aspects, more accurate. But that tuner should
know
> how a piano sounds to recognize if a mistake was made. Maybe not as
blatant
> as the $350 mistake, but enough to realize the machine is not working
> properly. And if the tuner knows how to use the machine properly, then
he/she
> should be allowed to use it to take the RPT tuning exam.
>
> Willem
>