need some opinions

[David Ilvedson]

I think the real solution is to develop a taste for the "colour" of the two instruments, a little out of tune to each, playing together.   I remember working with a famous musician, who complained I tuned his Moog too pure...and he'd detune it to "fatten" the sound.    He was right, it did sound better.   Hard for a piano tuner to get it, though...;-]

David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA  94044

----- Original message ----------------------------------------
From: "Diane Hofstetter" <dianepianotuner at msn.com>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Received: 7/4/2008 12:52:20 PM
Subject: need some opinions




>The problems in this situation include the facts that the temperature and humidity 
>changes affect the pipe organ and the piano tunings in exactly the opposite 
>directions.  And the pipe organ tuning changes more dramatically than the piano's.  
>When the piano is going sharp, the organ is going flat at a quicker pace.  The only 
>way to solve the problem is to have a perfectly controlled environment (yeah, sure), 
>and one tuner, whose sole purpose in life is to keep the piano and organ constantly 
>tuned.

> My father, husband and I all worked for the same conference center for 25 years; 
>whenever we traded off on tuning the concert grands, they became less stable.  
>Whenever one of us consistently tuned the same piano, it became more more and 
>more stable.


>Diane Hofstetter




>Leslie Bartlett l-bartlett at sbcglobal.net said:
>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
>>


>Diane Hofstetter