[pianotech] tuning grands left handed

[Ed Foote]

Greetings,
    I have been using more left-handed tuning, lately.  It helps spread 
the load and damage among twice as many joints and tendons.
    I use a slow push to final position in my tuning, mostly. Usually, 
the last .5 cent is dealt with by using pin flex, so I look for the 
zone that allows that degree of movement using top string tension, 
alone.     I still occasionally find myself in a herky-jerky snake 
fight and have to stop and remind myself to pull it sharp and take 
another shot.
        The switch to left handed changes the amount of pre-load in the 
pin due to its directional influence, but I am learning to accommodate 
that. Sometimes a combination of rotational force and pin flex is 
needed to leave the string in the zone.  It is not uncommon to find a 
bearing/torque combination that allows a smooth push upwards, just to 
the pitch I want, to be stable when the hammer is relaxed.  Other 
times, I have to stop short and with a wiggle on the handle, let the 
note rise to pitch.  This is not unlike the Mason&Hamlin screw 
stringers technique.
    In the studios, it is common for the piano to be against a wall, or 
in a box, so that the ability to tune the top octave left handed is 
utile, indeed.
Regards,

Ed Foote RPT
http://www.piano-tuners.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Ialeggio <jim at grandpianosolutions.com>
To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Thu, Jan 24, 2013 8:13 am
Subject: [pianotech] tuning grands left handed


Hey Will and whomevers,I gave my left hand another shot the other day 
on a nice grand.  Now I remember another reason why I abandoned it... 
lever at 10:00 oclock on a grand, drop pitch, then smooth push to 
target works very nice, but then as the pin eases itself back from the 
push, it pulls the speaking length a bit sharp. I remember now, I was 
having trouble countering this sharpen-ing tendency. It lead me to 
abandon my dominant hand on grands.Any thoughts.My preferred right 
handed position is 2 or 3 oclock (grand). To be fair, in this position 
the apparent pitch often rises (sometimes significantly) over the 
target, but I have a clear feel where the pin foot is in relation to 
that overshoot, and how much the pitch will come back (at least a fair 
amount of the time). So either righty or lefty there is an 
"interpretation" of where things stand when the lever is released.  But 
lefty, I find that "interpation" zone much harder to read.I bet this 
has more to do with my limited muscle strength than anything else. 
Pulling righty from the 2-3 oclock position is quite easy to do 
physically, which leaves adequate strength to control and relax as 
things get close. Lefty, even being the dominant side, with the push 
against the front of the hole, the strength and endurance required may 
just be be beyond my my physical limits, leaving no room to relax and 
smell the daisies at the critical moment. But even so, I'm curious what 
you get in the way of feedback from the front segment and distal pin 
deflection in that slow lefty CW push....Curious and ready to continue 
experimenting...Jim Ialeggio-- Jim 
Ialeggio	jim at grandpianosolutions.com978 425-9026Shirley Center, MA