45 min tunings

[Brian Trout]

Hi John,

You bring up an interesting point here.

You wrote:
 <snip>... If I used a ETD, I could do a 45 minute tuning.

It's interesting you should say that.  I am wondering what your frame of
reference is for that statement?

Something I've noticed (for me) is that using the "ETD" did NOT considerably
speed up my tuning times.  It actually slowed it down by a few minutes.  But
to be fair, I'd have to say that there are different ways that I use that
ETD.

Some people use the ETD to tune every string on the piano, and with every
tuning they do.  Some use it as kind of a peripheral background thingy that
sort of sits there and keeps and eye on them.   Some use it to help them to
set their temperament area and pay less or no attention to it at all for the
extremes of octaves or unisons. Etc...

For the past couple of months, I've been tuning alongside of my laptop with
the TuneLab program running.  At times, I will more or less just let it do
the tuning.  Some pianos will sound like junk no matter what I do, so I just
let it do it's thing.  Those I don't worry too much about.  But when I get
to a piano which seems to have some potential to have a decent tuning,
things change a bit.  On the better ones, I'll start out using the tuning
that the machine puts out almost as a first pass.  As it goes along, I'll
stop and listen to what it's doing.  I'll listen to the thirds and fourths
and fifths and sixths and octaves and tenths and double octaves, etc.  When
I've gone through the whole piano, top to bottom, with one string per
unison, that is, I have a pretty good feel for where it has put stuff, but
that's not necessarily good enough.  If I have noticed areas or individual
notes that don't please my ear, I'll go back and tweak things to where I do
like them.  Most times, I end up adjusting the lower temperament area a bit,
especially if it's not a very smooth break, and the lowest octave or so, and
maybe a few oddballs in the treble that just aren't in line with the rest.
Then I'll go through and tune the unisons.  (This is all assuming that I'm
already very close to pitch to begin with.  If it would not be, a 'quickie'
tuning would come first to get me close.)

Just a quick observation.  I do not always use the machine to tune.  I still
do tune aurally.  I have noticed, however, that having used the machine for
maybe a hundred tunings or so, that my aural tunings have become faster and
smoother.  Having heard what sounds like good tuning to me over and over has
helped me to focus more on what I hear when the machine's turned off.

Like I tell some of my customers, the machine is a very useful tool, but a
merciless ruler.  I am in charge and I am the final judge as to the way that
piano sounds when I'm done.  I make no bones about changing what the machine
does if I think it sounds more even or pleasant somewhere else.

All that being said, I schedule an hour and a half with the piano.
Sometimes it'll take me longer, sometimes it'll take me less time.  I HATE
being rushed, and I do need some time to set up my mute strips, the computer
(if I'm using it),  get out all of the appropriate tools I think I'll need,
figure out how to get this thing apart, where on the white carpet I can lay
the fallboard, etc, etc, play a little when I'm done, and pack up my tool
case for the next call.

I can do a tuning in under an hour if I have to.  But I, (like some others,
I believe) am probably still chasing a few ghosts.  About 15 or 16 years
ago, a member of the guild belittled me severely for my poor quality tuning
without even the slightest hint of an invitation to join the guild or work
to improve my skills.  Shortly after, I left piano work for about 10 years,
not ever expecting to return.  I still chase that ghost today.  My tunings
are rarely good enough for ME.  If they're not absolutely perfect, I will
likely criticize myself, even if a customer (or even a fellow technician)
thinks it sounds very very good.

There's the short version of what I was thinking about when I read your
post.  I wish I could write it the way I see it in my mind.  The whole thing
takes about 1/2 second to play out in my head...

Take care & have a good day.

Brian Trout
Quarryville, PA
btrout@desupernet.net