Dear List, This post is aimed mainly at the newer people in the field and those who say that it takes longer than an hour to do a good tuning. Today, I left at 8 a.m., drove 25 miles to a high school where there is going to be a Solo & Ensemble contest. I tuned and prepared 10 pianos, was paid when finished at the "school" rate, which is slightly lower than the usual but still pretty good, deposited my check and was home at 6 p.m. There were 8 Yamaha P-22's, 1 older P-2 and 1 older Kawai Studio of very similar design. I used the same very fine program in my SAT II for each of them. It is the Equal Beating Victorian Temperament (EBVT) with custom tempered octaves that I made years ago in the symphony conductor's office. I use this program on all similar pianos in schools and homes but always tune the wound strings aurally. All ten pianos were tuned twice, using strip mutes, one rough tuning and one fine tuning, except one which was a 25 cent pitch raise requiring 3 passes. I also did full 88 key capstan adjustments on 3 pianos, spaced several hammers here and there and changed a set of humidifier pads. I also spliced the highest monochord wound string which broke with the gentlest touch on one piano (there is a certain vintage of these pianos that had a problem there which has now been corrected but I am still finding some of them). I took short beaks when I needed them, answered the phone and ate lunch. All 10 pianos were left exactly at Standard Pitch with excellent stability and clean unisons throughout. All played normally and responsively with no lost motion and good, normal feeling aftertouch and repetition. All were suitable to be played by a professional musician. Years ago, I used to be invited to share in the bounty of an event like this. Three or four technicians would go to a school and each tune 3 or 4 pianos. I was initially asked to do nine, which I felt I could handle and accepted. I was informed today that there would be a tenth. I cheerfully accepted it. Now, I don't think I could do this every day nor is there really that kind of opportunity. My right arm and back are a bit sore but no more than if I had gone to the gym and really pushed hard. It is a matter of technique, keeping the concentration, and being in good enough physical condition to handle such a long, constantly stressful job. I never went to school to learn how to do this work, I learned just by trying and sticking with it. All of my important knowledge comes to me by association with PTG. I have learned from many different people and have sometimes combined ideas from different people to create my own. My only link to this profession is the fact that I have also been a musician since early childhood. I do not consider myself extraordinary at all. I think therefore that if I can do it, so can you. Keep at it. Bill Bremmer RPT Madison, Wisconsin
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