tuning 'notes'

[antares]

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On 20-okt-04, at 8:36, David Andersen wrote:

>> I absolutely believe that your tuning is of the highest possible=20
>> quality and I
>> admire your professional standpoint.

> Coming from you, I treasure that.

And I am serious too because I know about you, people do tell things=20
about you, you know.
>
>> I on the other hand have chosen for an electronic marvel for several=20=

>> reasons :
>> a. I have really tuned too many piano's the old way (I have told here=20=

>> before
>> that I started doing 7 piano's a day for my boss and almost always t=20=

>> least 1
>> or more for my self on that very same day).
>> b. I now do not tune so many piano's a day anymore, maybe 1 or 2,=20
>> that's all,
>> except for festivals like the North Sea Jazz.
>> c. After Having reached my personal tuning zenith at the Yamaha=20
>> Academy, I
>> knew what the most perfect ET tuning in the world sounded like.
>> d. I then found my wizard box, which gives me that very same tuning.
>> e. I can make a really gorgeous tuning, with the help of that box, in=20=

>> 45
>> minutes (or less).
>> f. I no longer have to concentrate on making da puzzle you like to=20
>> make.
>> g. instead I focus on making tone with unisons because the basis has=20=

>> been laid
>> already.
>> h. In doing so, I don't experience any stress caused by for instance =
a
>> 'difficult' instrument and my customers feel my ease and confidence=20=

>> and are
>> more than convinced by the result.
>
> Perfect! Bravo. My dear friend, any speculation or opinion I proffer =
is
> always open to discussion and change; but the only way I'll really,=20
> really
> GET what you say---that your tuning is as good as my=20
> tuning---<g>---it's
> funny, but that's the real bottom line---is to hear it with my head=20
> stuck in
> the piano you just tuned.
>
>   SO: we need to be at the same place, at the same time, and each tune=20=

> the
> same piano, and let the fun begin. Maybe I can think of a way to make=20=

> that
> happen out here in fabulous SoCal...


That would be fun, for sure.
But.... you know, I do not think that will work, because it is not so=20
much a contest between your tuning or mine, but a contest between two=20
highly trained technicians who may aim for the same, but can never be=20
compared to each other because we are talking about two totally=20
different individuals.
The difference starts between your ears and mine, or, more correctly,=20
you hearing facilities and mine, or, your individual perception of=20
sound and mine.
I have noticed that, although this is very subtle,  the way unisons=20
sound varies from tuner to tuner. That in itself makes our tunings=20
different to start with.
Then there is the conception of how to stretch on either side of the=20
keyboard. The way you stretch your 'story' depends not just on beats=20
per second, but first of all on your individual temper, your personal=20
speed and your personal musicality.
Then there is the different approach between you and me : the way you=20
describe your way of tuning sounds like a total dedication.  a kind of=20=

poetic approach to making a piano sing.
You choose for doing this without the aid of a machine. That in itself=20=

is, esthetically speaking, to your advantage because it rules out=20
stories of robotic or automated tunings.
My approach is from a different angle : I choose for comfort, knowing=20
and especially trusting, that my revered box will choose for me the=20
highest reachable compromise ever possible between all notes,  be they=20=

either harmoniously healthy or victimized by in-harmonicity. That is=20
the nature of my box, and I agree with that nature, and that's the only=20=

reason why I bought it. It may be heavy or not so very sexy looking as=20=

others, but it does listen to 8 partials and both you and I know that=20
most people, generally speaking, hear no more than 2 or 3 or 4=20
partials, and that's usually the limit.
I think that what this means in practice, is that my box will probably=20=

tell me that your tuning may not be precise enough in the end, but your=20=

experienced ears, accustomed to your private listening patterns, will=20
tell you that the tuning I make with my box may be very precise, but=20
not up to your musical snuff. so to speak.
If I personally would have to make a judgment between the two tuners, I=20=

would say that your tuning is more impressive artistically speaking,=20
and that my tuning is probably more precise... and how can it be not=20
precise, being a machine that chooses for the optimal solution?

However,
As I said before : I has been my tuning karma to have tuned too many=20
instruments. That alone has caused me to choose to clean the 50 meter=20
carpet not by hand, but with the aid of a vacuum cleaner, because :

1. I don't have to get down on my knees,
2. it goes much faster,
3. it improves every tuning I make on the very same instrument (because=20=

it takes into consideration the change of partial patterns over time,=20
just like our ears).

In other words : I don't have to work as hard as before and I can=20
concentrate on creating musical unisons and on tuning technique, which=20=

is difficult enough already (my box is in that case a cruel judge,=20
because it shows any micro shift in cents, which actually has improved=20=

my tuning technique, because I also saw what I was doing.
And.....
I am actually not a professional tuner anymore... I tune maybe 1 or 2=20
instruments a day because the emphasis for me lies on tuning,=20
regulation, and voicing.

So, I come back to where we started :
I think with the very best ETD's of today, piano tunings are brought to=20=

an incredibly high level which certainly matches the level of top=20
tuners who tune without an ETD.
I also remember reading about a contest between maybe the very best=20
North American tuners, Jim Coleman and another tuner who 'se name I=20
forgot (for which I apologize).
That was years ago, and the ETD of those days was I believe a SAT.  If=20=

I remember right, there was no winner.



>
> All piano wizards, "piano whisperers," have their own highly=20
> individualistic
> ways to get to the same beauty.  I say, thank God for that. What a
> delightfully messy and nuanced situation. Although I will say that=20
> there are
> also great similarities in the true wizards of piano that I have met,=20=

> and
> the biggest one is a truly fresh and eternal love for the work.

That is exactly right, thank you for mentioning that. I think we=20
understand each other very well.

friendly greetings
from
Andr=E9 Oorebeek

"where Music is, no harm can be"

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