Well David, your kinda wrong again. I'm a folk that can't use a tuning folk. On the farm, I used pitch folks, manure folks, ensilage folks and I graduated from using a kitchen knife to eat peas to using a folk. If there is a tine missing tho, the dumb peas fall thru. I don't however make a living using an etd. Not that I couldn't if I was bent that way, but I choose to concentrate on other things After having a lot of my earnings confiscated by our socialistic government, if I behave myself, they give some of it back to me in the form of antisocial insecurity. I've been a member since before the sight-o-tuner came out. I remember the strobotuner. I can still hear and see the kicking and screaming when etd's got started. I still hear muffled grunts, groans and sighs, but they are slowly diminishing. No one likes a change except a wet baby. There will always be those that think rules are more important than results. I rented my 7 ft Hardman a couple of weeks ago and I tuned it for a concert. Does that make me a concert tuner? I used the accutuner. No complaints. One thing I hope everyone has noticed. I never speak disparagingly about those among us who are fine tuners but have to think twice before using a screwdriver to decide which end to use. I do question their title of technician rather than tooner. You see, I have nothing but admiration for anyone that can do a good job of tuning, listening to beats for 40 years and not ending up at the funny farm. Don't get me wrong. My anger long ago turned to amusement. I kinda enjoy my status as the Rodney Dangerfield of the PTG. Now, I think I'll have a bottle of imported beer. Cheers!!!! Carl Meyer ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Ilvedson" <ilvey@jps.net> To: "pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2001 8:49 AM Subject: Re: never say never..kinda long > Go Phil! I've been kinda wrong before...;-] Of course we won't be hearing > from all the folks who can't tune with a tuning fork and make a living > tuning with a ETD will we... > > David I. > > > *********** REPLY SEPARATOR *********** > > On 3/25/01 at 8:56 AM Phil Bondi wrote: > > >David Ilvedson wrote: > >> > > If you get the ETD first you will never learn to tune without it no > >> matter what people say about EDTs being great teaching devices. > > > >..I'm late on this thread, but this comment caught my eye.. > > > >David...you're kinda wrong..and hopefully, _I_ will prove you wrong this > >Summer when I take the Tuning Exam in Reno. > > > >breif history about myself: > > > >started working with a dealership in 1997 after 1.5 years of bi-monthly(?) > >trips to Atlanta to work and study with Larry Crabb. In Feb. of '97, Larry > >thought I was 'ready' to start earning money in the field..I inquired to a > >local dealership about doing some work for them, and it just so happens > >that > >they were looking for a new tech..I was hired on the spot and given a > bunch > >of work right away, both on the floor and in customer's homes. > > > >Baptism Under Fire. > > > >..and I felt that my aural skills were no where ready to be 'scrutinized'. > >Of course my feelings were correct, so I purchased a SATll to make my work > >more 'credible'. It was a great purchase at the time. Some customers had > >seen this device before and were not satisfied with the results. I assured > >them that this is a great tool to do our job, and would welcome any > >criticism once I was finished tuning...never had one complaint. > > > >..in the meantime, working for this dealership, I would practice my aural > >skills while doing floor tunings. The SAT was my tutor, since my visits to > >Atlanta were coming to a halt, not because of my wealth of knowledge, but > >because my business was starting to take off and I felt I needed to be > here > >to answer the phone. > > > >As I was getting more confidence in hearing those s l o w beating 5ths, I > >was starting to tune aurally on selected pianos out in the field..ones > that > >I felt I could hear what I needed to hear and not feel scrutinized by the > >customer. Spinets were a welcome sight, since most of my customers that > >have > >spinets are not going to be critical of my work..more like grateful that > it > >sounds better!..but..spinets were harder for this green roo(k) to hear > >those > >5ths and 4ths than some of the Grands that I chose to tune aurally....i > was > >feeling some frustration because i felt I had hit a wall in my learning > >process..i probably did.. > > > >and then one day..while tuning on the dealer floor, i nailed a temperament > >on the 1st try...this was a big confidence boost..i listened and played > and > >re-played those 4ths, 5ths, 3rd's and 6th's till it was ad nauseum..but I > >needed to implant that sound in my remaining brain cell to be able to > >confidently open a spinet or lift the lid on a 9'er to tune aurally. > > > >The SATll sits in my tool box and is removed now for pitch raises, noisy > >enviroments, and unfamiliar Concert Venues (that doesn't happen too > often). > > > >Am I the exception rather than the rule?..probably..I've been accused of > >worse. > > > >David, if you're in Reno this summer, hopefully I will be able to say to > >you > >that 'never' is not a good word to use. Let me say this publicly..I am > >finally prepared to 'fail' the test..which means that if I had taken the > >tuning test 2 years ago in Providence, I would have failed miserably > >because > >I would have been unprepared to fail..I would have been clinging to the > SAT > >for alot longer than I have if I had taken that test back then..my > >confidence in my aural tunings has improved immeasurably since then. I > have > >learned how to let the piano tell me how it wants to sound..still learning > >'how', but I think I can tune aurally fairly well, with an accurate > stretch > >both ways, and have the instrument be musical to the player..and I do mean > >'player'. > > > >Confident, never cocky, > >roo(k) > > > >
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC