The novice...question(s) Jim

[Brian Trout]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for your response.  I always appreciate receiving your e-mails.

The thinking behind relating the concept of a standard to the RPT exams was
a bit of association that customers sometimes do.

They will at times assume that because a person is either an RPT, or even
associated with the PTG, that they will meet a certain standard when they
come to tune the piano.  Most of them haven't the slightest idea of what
that means in reality, but it makes them feel good.

I have no issue with the test itself.  One must be able to tune pretty well
to pass (so I'm told.  I haven't taken it yet...)  It's what happens
afterwards that seems to be the big gray area.

My point is that, if, after the test, one tuner tunes in ET, another tunes
in EBVT, another tunes in meantone, and one tunes in Young, etc., (as
standard practice),  it would appear that there is no standard, at least
from some viewpoints.  To the customer who just had her piano tuned in
meantone (because that's what her tuner thought sounded best) who just
played something in the 'wrong' key, she probably doubts any relevance of a
standard associated with the terms RPT and / or  PTG.  After all, her tuner
had passed all of the 'tests'.

I'm not trying to be obnoxious.  I believe there is a time and place for all
of those temperaments.  I'm just not sure about boundaries, or where to draw
lines, or if lines and boundaries can indeed or should indeed be set.

Fuzzy I am.  (In more ways than one!) <grin>

Nice to hear from you, Jim.

Brian Trout
Quarryville, PA
btrout@desupernet.net