Tuning the Capo

Jason Kanter jkanter@rollingball.com
Mon, 2 Sep 2002 10:18:16 -0700


Greetings, list. I have met a Yamaha C-series grand that I will be tuning next week. Took the ETD "voice-print", played it, and examined the action.

This piano has a cap d'astro bar in both the treble and tenor sections. Owner complains that sometimes the piano has a "ring" that sounds almost like a telephone. I checked the tuning of the capo and they are all way off. The highest section, where the capo section is equal to the speaking section and therefore should be a unison, is off by more trhan a semitone. There is no place in the whole capo that is in tune. And there is muting string-braid-felt that has been inserted to quiet the lowest 7-8 notes of the capo (about c4 to g4).

My question to you is: what's the current best practice regarding tuning of the capo? Do you routinely check and adjust? Can I just take a hammer and screwdriver and tap it forward/back until it is in tune, and then tune the piano? Or is it necessary to lower string tension first? Or should I use a different tool such as a hammer shank to tap the bar?

And next question: should I remove the muting felt from the c4-g4 area of the capo?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Thanks in advance


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 jason kanter * piano tuning * piano teaching
 bellevue, wa * 425 562 4127 * cell 425 831 1561
 orcas island * 360 376 2799
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