Dear Ed, Most graciously written, though my ego was not pricked by what you were saying -- well, not much ... I find it encouraging that several of the people writing most earnestly about this supposedly crucial inaccuracy had the direction of it wrong ... good for Bob Davis! Tuning a couple of not-so-hot pianos since we had this discussion, I tried the A4 after I finished my usual procedure -- it seemed beatless with the fork. So, wondering how I ended up awfully close to where I should be by the "wrong" method, I started thinking about it. I don't set the A4 from F3 and the A-440 fork. I set A3, using the fork and F3. Once A3 is beatless to the A440 fork, and F3 is a reasonable beat rate from A3, I tune F4 to a pleasing octave (well, pleasing to me ...), and then fiddle with C#4 till the contiguous major thirds proceed pleasantly, changing the F's if needed. Then I lay the rest of the temperament -- if all goes as I expect it to (I have been doing it this way for 28 years, after all ...) the G# at the end of the sequence will be happy with the C# from the beginning of it, and I move on to octaves, after running fifths and fourths to see that they are equally happy or unhappy, depending on the instrument. I march upward, treating A4 just like all the other notes ----------- and there may lie the saving grace. I make all the octaves just slightly wide of what your machines might consider dead straight perfect. And this stretch may be just the amount needed to get the A4 fundamental beatless against the fork. I do them this way because I like the sound better. It's less stretch than would yield a noticeable beat, short of holding, waiting ... waiting .... waiting ....................... etc. So, if when I check the A4 against the fork it is okay ------what is all this worry about? I mean, the world really doesn't need any more slipshod piano tuners than it already has, but is it slipshod if my ear, listening to the note and the fork together over several seconds, can't tell the difference? What earthly harm is that small a discrepancy (if even worth mentioning) going to do to anyone? There are so many undesirable aspects of pianos which are plainly audible to an unaided ear, and which often just go by the wayside -- why not pay more attention to them, and not worry about the "Nano-Issues"? I don't really see the point of spending so much time dissecting gnats. On the other hand, I (sometimes) am happy that people with minds put together somewhat differently than mine enjoy taking unreasonably exact technical devices, and working out _exactly_ where the gnats like to hang out. It's nice, on general principles, to know these locations, and have a grounding in general gnat-anatomy, though I will always depend on my ear instead -- so it ends up as kind of an academic pursuit. Never mind, we all have our roles in life ... we all make our various contributions. Regards, Susan Kline (oh, yes, RPT, and I tuned A4 on the test using F2 ...) At 10:32 AM 1/9/2006 -0500, you wrote: >Dear List: > >I see that my most offensive comment was that anyone who tunes A4 to F3 >does not know how to tune a piano. >That was not a correct statement. I see that there are circumstances in >which a person using this method may produce a very good tuning for that >circumstance. > >Since this list is provided by the Guild, I assume that all folks here >intend to become RPTs, so that when we talk about tuning we are referring >to the Guild Exam as a minimum standard. > >I had to work very hard to pass that exam. Becoming an RPT was the most >significant confidence building act of my life. I hope for others to have >similar life building experiences, and so I express an understanding of >piano technology based on the values implicit in the RPT exams. > >My intention was to help a new learner focus on those facts and actions >which would most advance and accelerate his long term growth. If anyone >feels personally demeaned by my statement, I think you have probably >misunderstood my intent, but I can understand that, and hope you will >accept my apology. > >Sincerely, >Ed Sutton > >"If there is anyone here I have failed to insult tonight, I hope you will >accept my sincere apology." >Johannes Brahms > > >_______________________________________________ >pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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