Duo piano tuning -(Plug for the Performer Archive)

[Garret E. Traylor]

Dear Robert and List
Your post is wonderful material for the performer archive format!  Along
with others, I am constantly  learning, and grateful for new perspectives.
In the future, please consider utilizing the following format for similar
posts.  :^)  (Print, cutout, and tape to your wall for  reference).
Sincerely;
Garret Traylor
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Would you like to share information about a piano artist you have worked
for?
Please consider using the following format as a guideline --

   * Subject line of E-mail: Performer Archive (artist name).
   * Body copy:
        o performer
        o performance date
        o location
        o special type or name of any instruments
        o piano serial number
        o temperament used
        o program notes
        o and any other details you would like to share.
        o edit your story to a modest length (one page preferred).

This will be a treasured thread for others to refer to in the future.  So
take a note pad along and take some brief notes during
your work day, then take a little time to put your thoughts, ideas,
narratives, tales, and yarns into words .... above all have
fun!!!  :^)

Example:
----------------------------------------------------
Subject: Performer archive: (Terrell, Shawn)
----------------------------------------------------
Mr. Shawn Terrell
October 11, 1996
Rosen Concert Hall, Appalachian State University Boone N.C.
Steinway Concert & Artist Piano
Serial #534
Well Temperament Thomas Young
Bach program: Sonatas...…
"The story you would like to share."
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Robert Goodale wrote:

> Hi folks....
>
> Yesterday I tuned for a duo piano concert featuring renoun Steinway jazz
> pianists Ramsey Lewis & Billy Taylor. There evening performance drew a
> nearly full house and a very appreciative audiance. To say the least
> these pianist were exceptionally pleasant to work with, and had no
> complaints regarding the pianos, my tuning, or the regulation/voicing.
> Has anyone else out there in cyber-land had the opportunity to tune for
> these guys?
>
> I thought I would bring up an interesting and rather unexpected
> observation. The two pianos that were used, both Ds, are new. One is our
> house piano, #533099, and the other is a rental from the dealer,
> #533755. With the serial numbers so close together I would assume that
> they probably left the factory within a few months from each other.
> I arrived at the auditorium at 7:00 AM prepared to tune the two pianos
> matched together. I have done this before several times, the last time
> with Duo pianists Richard and John Contiguglia in Des Moines, and
> experienced absolutely no problems. Having these two new pianos with
> closely matched serial numbers, I was expecting little difficulty.
> Well....
>
> The first thing I did was a brief experiment. I took readings from both
> pianos with the S.A.T. and discovered significantly different stretch
> numbers between the two. Our house "D" measured 7.2, 6.6, and 6.2.  The
> rental D, however, measured 7.3, 8.3, and 6.0.  I then set a 2-octave
> temperament on each piano to check for compatibility. While each piano
> had a very nice and clean sounding ET with itself, they were noticably
> incompatible with each other. Thus turning the keyboards to face each
> other, I set sail on an interesting "temperamental journey" compromising
> the two to sound good with each other as well as to themselves. The most
> observable difference when I finished was some 5ths slightly more narrow
> than usual on the rental piano. I don't think anyone else noticed the
> variences but me, and as they say it was "close enough for jazz". When I
> finished they both sounded quite good together as well as on their own,
> but with limited time before they stage crew arrived it did become quite
> a race against the clock to get the job done right.
>
> Now OF COURSE I do typically expect some moderate variences on identical
> pianos since no two are truly alike. I was, however, suprised to find a
> variance to this degree. In short, I was wondering what other
> experiences some of you might have had in matching pianos. Should I have
> been suprised by this, or perhaps I have simply been "lucky" in past
> experiences? It might be an interesting experiment to take readings from
> various "D"s that some of you regularly work on and then post and
> compair the stretch numbers. Has anyone run into any worse-case
> scenarios where two identical pianos could absolutely not be matched
> without obvious differences?
> Just curious.
>
> Rob Goodale, RPT