Aural? (self-starters) muting techniques, etc.

[Paul]

Roger
Your technique sounds like mine. I've been working on eliminating a lot of
the repetitive motion of mute changing, to increase my time on the tuning
lever and keyboard. I've worked out systems for grands, verticals, birdcage
actions, oversize capo bars, etc., in most of the pianos I encounter. Floor
tunings were the incentive to pick up speed but hold the accuracy. Have you
tried pitch raising with all your mutes in? You can do it under 10 minutes
and come out with surprising accuracy, all done aurally. It goes for pitch
lowering too!

Paul Chick
----- Original Message -----
From: Roger C Hayden <rchayden2@juno.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, September 30, 2000 10:50 AM
Subject: Re: Aural? (self-starters) muting techniques, etc.


> Muting techniques.
>
> Early in my career I got a job at a college doing a rank of similar
> pianos in similar rooms of similar age with similar problems on similar
> days.  Grueling boredom!!!  So I bought a stop watch and timed my
> operations, trying lots of variations, looking for high efficiency,
> without sacrificing quality.  Competition against myself!!   And
> everything got interesting.
> A couple of work principles here:
>
> 1.  I learned quickly that the motion connected with rubber mutes was a
> great user of time.
> 2.  A long job divided into several short ones keeps the psych much
> happier.
> 3.  Having more opportunity for feedback during the earlier parts of
> tuning saves work later.
> 4.  Deuteronomy 25:4  Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out
> the corn.
>   Translation:  I can play this tuning and test it at three different
> points, enjoying my work, and checking my progress.  Owners like that
> too!!
>
> I doubt if these techniques are new, and it's a bit hard to put into
> words, but here goes.
>
> For Grands I use four felt strip mutes.  Starting with the triple unisons
> I mute between every other note, (every six strings), from left to right
> all the way to the top.  When I get next to struts I mute before the last
> unison, even if it's out of sequence.  This will use two strips on most
> grands.
>
> Next I start with the double unisons in the bass, calculating quickly
> whether there are even or odd number of unisons.  If even, mute between
> the first two and every other from the bass up.  If an odd number, mute
> between the last single unison and the first double, then between every
> other.
>
> When I've muted the doubles there will be felt left over, so I start
> muting between the triple unisons that were not yet muted.  (Every six
> strings again)  All the way to the top.  With the unison on each side of
> struts I stuff the mute between the strings in the unison itself, leaving
> the single string next to the strut singing by itself.
>
> The whole idea is to strip mute so there remains only one string singing
> for each note.  (Except perhaps one note in the bass, the last single
> string, and maybe one double in the tenor.)  There are slight variations
> in this from piano to piano.
>
> Then I set my A-440, lay the temperament either from A to A, or F to F,
> tune down the single strings to the end of the tenor.  Check my
> intervals, especially Major Thirds, check my harmonies, all major chords
> inverted where necessary.  Then I improvise and harmonize a little to see
> if it 'talks back'.
>
> Next, its off to the treble, tuning only single strings for each unison,
> checking some as I go, but not to the extreme.  (I set the octave, check
> it with the fifth and fourth, and move on.)
>
> Then single strings through the bass.  Again, fifths and fourths as long
> as its not muddy, then only fifths, then checking with fifths and tenths,
> and at the last, checking with octaves, next fifth and tenth.
>
> Now its 'performance time'.  I can play this piano, modulate through all
> the keys, and if it's good it is soooo clear, these single strings!!  And
> far less probability for fighting false beats from lower octaves.
>
> Next, rip out the felt from the bass doubles, and tune their unisons.
> Note this:
>
> TUNING PIN SEQUENCE. . . very important !!  I start on the first bass pin
> that needs tuning, the second string from the tenor strut to the left.  I
> tune that unison, THEN, noting the pattern of tuning pins before me, I
> take the next pin that matches the first pin in the next pattern of pins.
>  In other words, NOT the next string to be tuned chromatically, but the
> next pin to be tuned by WHOLE step.  It will be in a STRAIGHT LINE for
> the most part going down the bass.  When I reach the last pin in that
> straight line I drop to the reverse of the pattern and work back up.  YOU
> HAVE TO KEEP YOUR HEAD ABOUT YOU  in this little trick, but it is more
> efficient.
>
> Play again and check a little.
>
> Then rip out ONE set of strip mutes to the top, leaving the first set in
> place.
>
> This frees two strings to sing in each unison.  TUNING PIN SEQUENCE:
> Starting at the first pin of the first triple unison available for
> tuning, it should be the left string.  Tune it.  Then by whole step again
> to the NEXT PIN IN A STRAIGHT LINE, tune that pin and string.  All the
> way to the strut.  You will be playing a whole tone scale on the piano.
> At the strut, remember you had tuned the string next to the strut.  So
> don't detune it.  tune the middle string here.
>
> Then it's back to the tenor, and tune the other set of whole steps to the
> top.
>
> Play again and check a little.
>
> Checking:  I like playing double octaves, starting on C in a major
> thirds,  that is C, E, G#, C E G#, etc. then come back, start on C#,
> major thirds up,  then D,     then D#.  That hits all the notes, and
> seems to keep the ear fresh for hearing bad octaves, and bad unisons.
>
> Rip out the last set of felts and again tune sequentially in whole steps
> the unisons.
>
> When tuning the unisons your hammer will move in a straight line, not
> back and forth.  You will know the pins needing tuning by watching the
> tuning pin pattern, not the hammers and strings.
>
> I find listening to the whole tone scale as I tune much more tolerable
> than crawling interminably to the top in half steps.  Also, I have
> divided the job more reachable parts.
>
> which are as follows:
>
> A-440
> Temperament:
> Octaves to top:
> Octaves to bottom:
> Bass unisons, down by whole steps and back up by whole steps:
> First Treble unison, to top by whole steps
> Second Treble unison . . to top
> Third treble unison
> Fourth Treble unison.
>
> The efficiency comes from:
> Rubber mutes get used in checking only.  Decrease hand motion.
> Strip muting is done in 2 - 2 1/2  minutes, maybe less
> The hammer moves in a straight line
> The Psyche is messaged, not as strained
> The ear stays fresher by less chromatic scaling. . .
> You get to enjoy the results sooner and more frequently
> Errors are found before the whole job is done
>
>
> On Sat, 30 Sep 2000 00:1
>
>
> 1:29 -0400 "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com> writes:
> > Would you care to enlighten us on your muting techniques? I am always
> > looking for ways to be more efficient, save time, and leave more
> > solid
> > tunings!
> >
> > Terry Farrell
> > Piano Tuning & Service
> > Tampa, Florida
> > mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com
> >
> >
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