Before we relax our standards, we need to be clear about why some tuners have trouble passing the temperament section of the exam. I suspect it is proceedure rather than technique. They have simply failed to solve the puzzle and perhaps need to adopt a new sequence which will give them more information which will lock in more notes earlier. This assumes that the task is approached with the intention of solving the puzzle rather than applying their own artistic temperament. Yes, there are choices to be made that might favor fourths/fifths over thirds or vice versa, but if done properly, those choices fall within the current standards. Not long ago, it was common practice to impose one's will on the piano rather than solve the puzzle. If a clearly unequal temperament is acceptable under lower standards, are we not in danger of returning to that attitude? Then there's the subject of stretch. Does the current exam allow for extremes? Should it? Carl Root, RPT Rockville, MD Sanderson/Coleman guinea pig, some twenty years ago.
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