[CAUT] Sacrifice (was tuners- technology)

[A440A@aol.com]

Fred writes:

<<  My typical concert tuning (no pitch change needed)

consists of playing each unison in turn, and when I hear one that is a bit

off, reading each string individually and adjusting accordingly. I have not

found a bit of problem relying on the display to produce unisons that are as

perfect as any I have ever heard. >>

Greetings, 
   I have found the fastest way to optimum, consistant, unisons is to tune 
each of the outer two strings to the SAT, then aurally tune the middle one. This 
seems to allow my ear to determine the final phase relationship.  I usually 
keep the mute on the center string as I remove it, after tuning the second 
outside string to the SAT, and while the middle is muted, listen to the pair of 
outer strings. They usually sound dead.  Then, as I drop the middle string into 
the "unison field",  I am able to leave it so that the unison as a whole 
sounds good.  It is not uncommon for the last string to be slightly off, (according 
to the SAT) when I get the unison I want.  I attribute this to the Weinreich 
effect, (see the 'Five Lecture'). 
 
   Occasionally, one of the outer strings will have so much of a false beat 
that I will tune the other two to the machine and let the beating string be 
placed by ear.  And sometimes, it is necessary to to detune the outer two strings 
so that the last, false beating string, will find a home place among them.  
  And SOMETIMES,  there is simply no way to get a clean unison, so I just go 
for the least offensive spot and go on.  I think this is also an indication of 
the difference between a veteran and a beginner. The beginner will waste a 
lot of time trying to do the impossible, while those of us that have been there 
so many times before will recognize a harmonic wasteland when we see it and 
leave in a hurry. 
Regards,



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