trichords unisons

[Newton Hunt]

Just a couple of thoughts before I crawl into bed.

First, unisons are the first thing you learn and the last thing you master. 
That being said it is practice, practice, practice and more of the same.

Second, how long do you think a musician will listen to a unison?  I am not
suggesting you compromise you tuning but get real, practical and know there are
limits to everything and perfectionism is a real limiting attitude.

Find out what level of skill is expected and go beyond that, but not way way
beyond that.  Therein lies insanity, like the rest of us. :)

Get together with some other tuners and tune a few unisons, each of you, and
talk about them and see what conclusions you come to, then talk to another bunch
of tuners.  Eventually you will come to a skills level that is practical and
craftsmanship like.

Long live insanity!

		Newton

"Benny L. Tucker" wrote:
> 
> Hi list,
>     I've been going crazy lately, "most folks think I'm already there",
> trying to get my unisons perfect! I've read a lot in the archives about
> unison tuning, and I get plenty of practice everyday at the plant.
>     I'm just trying to evaluate my own tuning standards. I don't think I'm
> incompetent, but maybe.
>     Problem: 3 years now tuning at the Yamaha factory, 2 years moonlighting
> on my own after work, and yet I still can't set a "perfect unison" without
> taking considerable time.
>     I would think my unisons would pass the RPT unison test, but I've never
> been satisfied with meeting minimum standards. To put it another way, I love
> this profession dearly, and yes, I want to be better than average.
>     I may be looking at this wrong, but to me a perfect unison should not
> have ANY rolling of ANY partial for the duration of the sound. Is this to
> much to ask for, or is this the way most of you folks normally tune?
>     On home and Church tunings, I mostly just try to get the unisons as
> clean as I can for as long as possible before the higher partials start to
> slow roll.
> I can do the perfect unisons, but for me that means striking the key, and
> waiting, and waiting , and waiting for the slow roll then move the hammer
> "more like add or release pressure", while pounding, then when I think I've
> got it right let it ring and wait, and wait and wait etc. You get the
> picture.
> At my level of experience, it could take me several hours to get each and
> every unison "completely beatless".
>     What is the accepted standard, if there is one. How do you define the
> perfect and/or the acceptable unison.
>     FWIW, I have absolutely no trouble with the bass or the high treble,
> it's that dang tenor section. It seems like the better I get, the more I can
> hear, the worse I actually tune.
>     Comments anyone?
> 
> Benny L. Tucker
> Yamaha Factory Tuner
> Precision Piano Tuning & Repair
> Thomaston, Ga.