tuning with Dampp-Chaser

[Marcel Carey]

Just today I had to tune a nice Hamburg "B" for a CBC recording. I was to
tune the piano in the mid morning and touch up after rehearsal. The piano
has a 2 tank DC and a full length cover. The cover was on before I tuned it
this morning. The pitch was about 1 cent sharp. When I came back this
afternoon, the stage lights were on and the temperature had raised about to
85 Farenheit so I suspect the humidity level had gone down also since the
piano was open. The tuning I had done in the morning was GONE. The unisons
sounded out of focus (some of them bad) and the pitch had gone down -2
cents. The stage manager came and told me he had to turn on the air
conditionner... At that point, I was half way done.  Well, the pitch came
back up to + 2 cents and the temperament section went out slightly (just
enough for me to start all over). So, I don't know if it's the temperature
or the humidity, but stage conditions can really upset me. It was now 6:30
and I was getting tired. I was also getting upset because I was kind of
chasing a shadow... So, after all, I wasn't pleased with my tuning (sounded
not so bad, but not as good as this morning).

Feels good to be able to talk about it.

Marcel Carey, RPT
Sherbrooke, QC