need some opinions

[Ron Nossaman]

Leslie Bartlett wrote:
> I have been a tuner for a large church in town, the other tuner having 
> retired.  I learned that actually was not quite the case. I have been 
> sharing the tunings with another tuner in the city.  The church's 
> pianist indicated some time ago she wished me to come with her and tell 
> her why she "hated the Steinway"......  Well, it was tuned to 440, while 
> the pipe organ was about 13 cents flat..................  So having 
> fixed the disparity (not tuning the pipe organ, to be sure), the 
> Steinway seemed quite more agreeable.
> 
> For a major recent concert the piano was tuned by the other tuner.  I 
> was called this week to "bring the piano up to pitch" because a major 
> concert venue was to use it this weekend.  Here is what I found.  The 
> variance was from +17 cents, to -23 cents, most of the top octave being 
> 20 or more cents flat, and the low-to mid sections being mostly 6-to-ten 
> cents sharp.  My typical tunings of that piano will vary as much as 
> seven cents over three-four months in a worship room seating nearly 
> 1000, and in which the heating/air conditioning is on/off, on/off, 
> depending on whether the room is being used.
> 
> I informed the pianist that I could not share such tunings with another 
> tuner because it would ultimately affect the piano, and could affect the 
> reputations of two tuners.   I would appreciate some opinions as to the 
> veracity (or not) of my statements.  If you would "reply all", then your 
> responses will also go to the pianist of the church, unedited by 
> myself.  Thanks
> les bartlett
> houston


Les,
Your first mistake was compromising the tuning of the more 
stable instrument to the less (possibly the least) stable. 
While you may satisfy the immediate situation, when the pitch 
of the organ swings wildly the other direction later in the 
week, it'll be your fault. Always tune the piano at 440, with 
thorough, lengthy, and oft repeated explanation as to why the 
two will only be in tolerable tune together by dumb luck. The 
problem is with the organ, not with the piano, and putting a 
cast on your arm when it's your leg that's broken isn't a 
viable approach. By tuning the piano to the organ, you make 
yourself responsible for both.

As to the other tuner thing, you either take the tuning, or 
you pass. You don't own the venue, and can't realistically 
control this. Through the years, I've run into this quite a 
bit, and currently have three or four situations where this is 
still happening. Usually, it's because they are far enough 
away that they will use a cheaper local guy rather than pay me 
to come in for one tuning, where they call me when they want 
the 5 or 20 tuned. If the local screws up the piano badly 
enough to need a pitch adjustment when I come for the bulk 
tuning, I charge them for it. I have certainly lost accounts 
over this, but that's the way it is. Some of these lost 
accounts have called me back as the cumulative effects of the 
local's tender ministrations reach critical mass, and are 
among the most loyal accounts I have. You do what you think is 
right and reasonable, and you stick to it as long as it'll 
feed you.

My take,
Ron N