Reading all these posts on whether one pass or two is more accurate I think that the focus has been in the wrong area. All things being equal, two passes will always be more accurate than one. A second pass at some level should always be done to insure accuracy. The question should really be about what should be accomplished on each pass. The answer lies partially in the psychology of perception. One's ability to make fine discriminations will always be related to the range of the field. The smaller the range, the greater ones ability to make fine discriminations. In practice, that means that if you are pulling the piano into tune from all over the place, you will not be able to discriminate subtleties in the quality of the unisons that you would be if the piano were already basically in tune. Similarly, for example, if you are adjusting repetition springs and the tensions are somewhat chaotic, you will not be able to perceive small differences as easily on the first pass as you will on the second. Thus the argument for going over a regulation more than once as well. As far as what you should try to accomplish on each pass, then, on the first pass you should try to get the piano in as good tune as possible without lingering too long. My goal is that if I leave it after the first pass, I won't have much doubt as to its acceptibility. You should definitely concentrate on making sure that each string is set and stable. For me that means tuning with test blow force, checking with soft blows, and not leaving any string until I am confident that it is going to stay there. A quick first pass that doesn't achieve at least that is, to me, a waste of time. On the second pass, one should only be listening to the unisons and making very small refinements. The fewer changes you have to make, the easier it will be to make very fine discriminations. You certainly don't want to be guessing as to whether any note will withstand a hard blow. If you are in doubt, you better check each pin again. One or two unisons that don't hold from normal playing is too many. As far as speed goes, it doesn't really matter. If you find after much practice that it takes you 4 hours to tune a piano you might want to consider whether your ability to earn enough money might be compromised. I personally can't do a good solid tuning in much less than an hour and it's usually 1.00 - 1.25 hours for a piano that is basically out of tune. When I was a strict aural tuner, it took a little bit longer. I do them faster sometimes for a variety of reasons, but I like to feel confident when I leave the piano that there aren't any whiny unisons and that the piano will stand up to very hard playing. I charge accordingly and make no compromises between my ability to earn a living and deliver quality work. David Love
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC