[pianotech] Pitch raise criteria

Porritt, David dporritt at mail.smu.edu
Sun Aug 2 17:07:14 MDT 2009


Dave:

The thing I don't like about the A0 - C8 approach is that you have to have total faith in your ETD.  You can't start checking intervals and their relationship until you're nearly half way through your tuning.  If you don't like some of the relationships at that point you either just leave it as is, or go back and correct and do over what you've already done.

I start at F3 and go up through the temperament to A4 checking intervals and make sure it's as I want it before finishing out the piano.  I also do unisons as I go to check unisons.  I really do trust TuneLab like I trust my banker but I still count my change.

dp


David M. Porritt, RPT
dporritt at smu.edu


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of David Stocker
Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2009 3:14 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Pitch raise criteria

Several years before I made the jump to using an ETD, I sat in a class 
taught by Dr. Sanderson (inventor of the SAT). He had conducted a study to 
see which tuning order produced the most stable tunings. The answer was to 
start at A0 and tune unisons as you go all the way to C8. That was one of 
the reasons I went to an ETD.

Some are worried such a procedure will cause the plate to crack from uneven 
stress. Plates are so over-engineered I doubt it could make any difference.

Dave Stocker, RPT
Tumwater, WA

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Rob McCall" <rob at mccallpiano.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 01, 2009 22:47
To: "David Ilvedson" <ilvey at sbcglobal.net>; <pianotech at ptg.org>
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Pitch raise criteria

> David,
>
> I'm just curious of the pattern in which you tune.  Do you start with 
> your temperament and go up from there and then come back and tune  going 
> down below the temperament? Or do you have some other method/ pattern you 
> use when you tune unisons as you go? Do you just use the  rubber mutes, 
> set the middle string, then tune the unisons and move to  the next note?
>
> I'm sorry if this seems basic.  I just want to make sure I'm clear on 
> what it is you're saying...
>
> I don't mind tuning unisons as I go.  I just want to end up with a  tuning 
> that doesn't require me to go back through and fix a bunch of  stuff.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Rob
>
> On Aug 01, 2009, at 21:33 , David Ilvedson wrote:
>
>>
>> If you want to make a big change in your tuning experience, start  tuning 
>> unisons as you go.   If that is too big of a change, start  with unisons 
>> as you go for the pitch raise.   Right off the bat, the  pitch change is 
>> less.   You don't spend time inserting the strip  mute. Start NOW and you 
>> will be glad you did...
>
> 


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