[pianotech] shorter final tuning time with pitch raises; forearm smash

[David Love]

Three things: First, you need to be able to feel the pin move (it's a tiny
little click) through the lever in your fingers; second, you need to be able
offset the twisting of the pin with a slight pressing down of the lever
(bending of the pin) so that the twisting of the pin doesn't cause a change
in the pitch before the pin actually moves; and third, you need to be able
to judge by feel the tightness of the pin in the block to know just how much
pressure on the lever you need to offset the pin twisting.  The only way to
get that is through targeted practice with that specific goal in mind.  It's
a little easier on a grand piano, btw.  

David Love
www.davidlovepianos.com


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of David Nereson
Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2010 11:57 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] shorter final tuning time with pitch raises;
forearm smash

    Thanks, everyone, for your replies -- it all helps.  Maybe 
I'm listening too long and thinking too much.  But I've observed 
tuners at conventions who hit a  unison that's out, and in one 
quick single movement of the tuning hammer, hit the beatless 
spot first time.  That happens for me on maybe one in thirty 
unisons.  On all the rest, I've either over- or undershot the 
intended target, and then have to pound away, beating it back 
down, or cranking it a little farther up, until it's "on." 
There's such a variance in how far you move the lever before the 
string moves.  In some pianos, the lever can rotate through 10 
or 15 degrees before a pitch change is heard, and in others, if 
you even look at the pin askance, it will change pitch.
    --David Nereson