[CAUT] huge pitch raise question

[Don]

Hi Michelle,

How hard are you hitting the keys? My "record" pitch correction was 450
cents (no strings broke--first pass to standard pitch, 2nd pass with pitch
correction, third pass fine tune). I use a Mehaffy style impact tuning
lever. String breakage using the overpulls in Reyburn Cybertuner has
resulted in a 0.000015% failure rate over a period of ten years. Max
overpull in treble 30 cents, max in bass 12 cents.

Easy up on your pounding. Learn to tune at no more than MF with good
stability. It will save your ears, your body, and many fewer strings will
"pop".

Going down in pitch first is a good technique if there is any chance of
rust or corrosion. It's always a surpize when a string fails as you lower
pitch.

I've attached a small file that suggests when the "next service" of the
piano should be called "suggestedinterval.rtf" It should open with wordpad
(mac folks are on their own).

Are you using an electronic tuning aide? (Accutuner etc.)

At 02:06 PM 1/8/2007 -0500, you 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
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Regards,
Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.P.T.
Non calor sed umor est qui nobis incommodat

mailto:pianotuna at yahoo.com	http://us.geocities.com/drpt1948/

3004 Grant Rd. REGINA, SK, S4S 5G7
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