Terry, <<Any suggestions as to how to lessen the stress on our "pounding" fingers? I use my left index & thumb for loud striking, and I am losing the feeling in the tips as they are becoming continually numb!>> My suggestion is so simple--don't pound so hard. :-) Really, it is not that necessary for the majority of the work we do. As long as you strike the key harder than it will be played, it will be fine. I suspect that having the piano at pitch before fine tuning and having a good lever technique is superior to pounding. What do I know, though? I'm just an intermediate. ;-) <<There is a Steinway tech on the floor where I work, who came over and demonstrated how a perfect unison will not stand unless you BANG the key HARD, many times, almost to the point of breaking the hammer shank! What's up with that? Is that what we want to do?>> If you do this too much, your ears will be worn out by the time you get really good. The way I look at it--why put that kind of stress on your ears and all the piano parts? The key is to have good lever technique. I usually do a moderately hard test blow--maybe two depending on the instrument. It varies according to the piano. You live in CA, right? I think there is a Norm Neblett who lives in CA that gave a mini technical on unison tuning at the 1999 convention. His lever technique is what I use. You may already be using that, though. It is very good. If you are successful with this technique, there is less need to pound. John Formsma Blue Mountain, MS
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