[CAUT] huge pitch raise question

[Ken Zahringer]

Hey, Michelle,

Since I learned the true facts about what goes on during a pitch raise at
Convention lo these many years ago (a Don Mannino class, as I recall), I
have always raised pitch all at once.  Only one proviso: I never go more
than 30 cents sharp, regardless of how flat the piano started out.  That's
just my own safety margin.  Of course, this presupposes that I have already
decided that the strings & structure can stand the stress.  I don't recall
any particular problem as you describe.  It may have happened once or twice
in 15 years, but certainly no pattern.

My interesting finding: it seems that the "percentage overpull" formula
works great up to 100 cents, but when I raise a piano a whole step or even a
minor third, it seems to usually come out just as close to pitch with "only"
a 30-cent overpull as do lesser pitch raises with the usual percentages (I
use 10% bass, 25% tenor, 30% treble).  Diminishing returns, or something
like that.

I share your "flat then sharp" habit, and I think it's a very good habit.
There's nothing quite like the cold, slimy feeling of realizing that (1) I
forgot to go flat first, and (2) I just pulled the string sharp but the
pitch didn't change.  This is generally followed a fraction of a second
later by the sound of a breaking string.  I hate it when that happens!

I am also a jerk tuner.  Don't believe me?  Ask my wife! :-)  Seriously,
when I do a big pitch raise, I usually bring the string up in 15-25 cent
jumps.

Regards,
Ken Z.


On 1/8/07 1:06 PM, "Michelle Stranges" <stranges at oswego.edu> wrote:

> Hi folks-
> 
> Happy New Year!
> 
> :D
> 
> It happens more often than I'd like (and once is enough to be honest)
> and while I "feel"  that it's not my lovely hammer technique ;)  ,
> maybe it's something to do with some sort of "string thing"..
> 
> Has anyone else run across this?
> (Or maybe a PTG article I have overlooked?)
> 
> Upon visiting a fairly new piano and finding it dreadfully flat (50
> cents or more) , I carefully yet quickly, raise it up at least half
> of what it was.
> And I do have a (good?) habit of initially moving the pin in the flat
> direction before moving it sharp in order to loosen any friction from
> any rust or whatever that may have accumulated. Just a *quick* jerk
> to the left- nothing serious at all.
> 
> Now.. having raised the piano up (with a second pass to at least get
> it up to pitch) I start doing a "fine tuning".
> 
> it is either at this second pass or my fine tuning where strings
> start to break.
> In the usual places too- nothing out of the ordinary.
> 
> (Am I doing "too many tunings" (up to 3  times) to raise this
> completely up? Seems like that wouldn't be an issue,  especially if
> it's new(er)?
> Have I introduced some sort of unusual friction/heat or something??
> 
> 
> Now this doesn't happen all of the time, but I am acutely aware that
> it could and I wonder if there's something in my technique or my
> sequence of pitch raising that makes these newer strings break. (I
> could understand some strings breaking if the piano was older..)
> 
> I know tuners who on the first go, bring the whole piano up tp pitch
> but I've always been a little leary of that.
> I'm wondering if they also have strings break on their second pass/
> fine tuning..
> 
> I fully realize that they (the strings) are now at different spots on
> all of the contact and termination points so I would assume that
> would add to the puzzle.
> And I'd like to also add that it seems that the tork alone on this
> 1/2 way-to-pitch, pitch raised piano feels MUCH higher than it did
> before (and more than "normal") and I chalk that up to the higher
> tension I have just introduced.
> 
> I am a jerk tuner.
> 
> (Stop laughing  :)
> 
> I would be VERY interested in viewing the number of passes you folks
> do to bring a  piano up to pitch and whether or not you've
> experienced this-especially on ones that aren't so old.
> 
> Hope this post reads OK- and I look forward to your responses!
> 
> :)
> Michelle

-- 
Ken Zahringer, RPT
University of Missouri
School of Music