Yes, this is exactly the method I use as well and I have pitched raised pianos 100+ cents in one pass to get within 2-3 cents. I highly recommend it. Corte Swearingen Chicago ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alan R. Barnard" <mathstar@salemnet.com> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Tuesday, August 20, 2002 12:21 PM Subject: Pitch Raises ... Multiple Passes? > Susan wrote: "I feel that the [muting] strip gives good service in pitch > raises, when multiple passes are involved." > > Well, okay but .. > > If you have an ETD, and have not learned and tried Dr. Sa;nderson's > scientific pitch raise/lower method, you are really missing something. > > I have made raises as much as 70 cents in one go, Sanderson says you can be > off 160 cents and still do it in one pass. It doesn't even matter if the > amount "off" varies a lot up and down the keyboard--30 cents hear, 45 there, > etc. It usually leaves the piano incredibly close, with a surprising number > of freebies or near-freebies as you fine tune. > > Note: The term "near-freebie" is not to be found in any dictionary. > > Here is the Sanderson method in a nutshell. I will write it for the more > common pitch raise. Lowering pitch is done exactly the same way, only you > tune a percentage flat rather than sharp. > > 1. Pitch raise one string at a time from the lowest string to the highest, > in order; not up and down from a temperament. > > 2. Take occasional measurements--Sanderson says "one or two per octave" and, > for certain, after crossing a break--and set your ETD to cents sharp > according to this formula: > > All wound strings: 1/5 (Example: You test 10 notes, or so, and find them > about 30 cents flat. You would set your ETD to +6 cents sharp and tune those > strings to that setting.) > > The first six plain-wire strings: 1/3 (Example: The first 6 plain-wire > strings average about 27 cents flat, you set the ETD to +9 sharp and tune.) > > All remaining strings: 1/4 (Example: Your tested notes average 30 cents > flat, you set the ETD to +7.5 cents sharp and tune.) > > 3. CAUTION from Dr. Sanderson: To avoid overstretching and maybe breaking > strings, no note should be tuned more than 50 cents sharp no matter what the > correction turns out to be. This limits the pitch > raise to 160 cents over most of the keyboard. Repeat the same process on a > section of notes that require more than a 50-cent correction. > > These are thoughts from my own experience: > > A. You do not have to get overly fussy with this, just test a few notes > going up, and take a rough average. I never get out the calculator to get it > exact. > > B. I strip the piano completely as follows: > > 1. Strip every pair of bi-chords instead of every other pair. When > you pull the strip, you will be exposing one string per pair at a time, > which is what you want. > Tune the lower string to the ETD then pull the strip one loop, > tune the remaining note of that pair by ear and the first note of the next > pair to the ETD, etc., etc. > 2. Strip tri-chords in the usual way. I tune the center string > first, pull one loop of the strip, tune the right string of the note you > previously tuned by ear and the left string of > the current note by ear, then the center of the next note to the > ETD. This sounds complicated but is not. > Example: Tuning C40 through D#43: Tune C (center) to > ETD, pull one loop, tune B39 (right) by ear, tune C40 left by ear. Tune C# > (center) to ETD, pull one loop, > tune C (right) by ear and C# (left) by ear. Tune D > (center) to ETD, pull one loop, tune C# (right) by ear, tune D (left) by > ear. Tune D (center) to ETD, pull one loop, > tune C# (right) and D (left) by ear. Tune D# (center) to > ETD, pull one loop, tune D (right) and D# left by ear ... etcetera. > Strictly speaking, Sanderson wants you to go from bottom to top, > one string at a time. But I don't like moving mutes or shoving them between > closely spaced strings and > doing it with the strip, as described, works just great even > though you are jumping ahead three strings then backtracking. > 3. When doing the "by ear" tunings, don't tune like you are tuning > unisons. Just pull it close, slightly on the sharp side, if anything, and > move on. > > C. If the piano is really a mess, I go through it before strip-muting to > chip up any really flat notes to the highest note I find in that unison. I > don't know if this makes a real difference but it makes > sense to me to bring everything as close as possible before starting > AND you might as well find out right away if you have a pin block problem. > This is NOT tuning unisons, it is just quickly > bringing any bad little boys back into the classroom, so to speak, > and should take very little time. > > I'm told the newer SATs have a built-in program to do all this. I do it with > a Yamaha PT-100II. > > Result: A ONE-PASS pitch raise (or drop) that is VERY accurate and can be > done in a half hour, or less. Really! The following are Dr. Sanderson's > words: "The method is so accurate that most notes come out to within five > cents of the correct pitch--close enough so that the final tuning will come > out right on the button." > > Have fun, > > Alan R. Barnard > Salem, MO >
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