[CAUT] Re: Unison Tuning - Final

[Gary Mushlin]

Jim (Ellis),

I tried your method of individually tuning the side strings to the 
middle string, and found it to be very helpful. Of particular help was 
your comment about coupling and locking of frequency, something I 
hadn't heard before. I've wondered why the third string could be 
considerably off and the unison still sounded OK, and thought the 
problem was due to some other problem with my tuning. This method has 
been particularly helpful in the higher treble area.

My original hesitation concerning this method was:
1. I was taught, and heard from many tuners, that tuning the third 
string to the other two was the best way;
2. Less usage of mutes was better (this method requires an extra muting 
move) for speed.

What I found was by using your method, the unisons sound just fine. 
Also, though I lost about a minute with the extra muting, I could tune 
the unisons faster and with less chance of the third string being too 
far off. Hopefully, this will mean better unisons for a longer period 
of time after the tuning.

Hopefully, I'd like to go back to tuning the third string to the other 
two, but for now I will use your method until I can solve the third 
string problem.

I consider this for me the "Tuning Tip of the Year." Now I won't feel 
so badly about missing the national convention this year, after 20 
straight (they changed the dates this year, which created a conflict).

Sincerely,
Gary Mushlin, MME, RPT


On Mar 13, 2005, at 5:26 PM, James Ellis wrote:

> David, (Ilvedson)
>
> For purely scientific reasons, tuning the top note of a treble octave 
> to an
> open unison of the lower note is more prone to accumulating error than 
> is
> tuning single string to single string.  I did not say there were no 
> people
> who could do it and come out just fine.  There are.  I have seen and 
> heard
> them do it.  They do purely aural tunings, and they tune unisons as 
> they go
> throughout the entire piano.  However, I will stand by what I said, 
> and I
> shared that little item with everyone because it does work.
>
> Sincerely, Jim Ellis
>
> _______________________________________________
> caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>