My 10-minute tuning in practice!

[Lawsonic Pianoforte Services]

Hi, as one Brian to another Brian, as you described, is also how I do it.
Brian Lawson

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> From: btrout@desupernet.net
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: My 10-minute tuning in practice!
> Date: 11 March 1999 04:35
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> I had opportunity to use the 10 minute tuning today.  (All by ear... I
> don't have an ETD yet... been thinkin' about checkin' some of 'em out
> though...)
> 
> Had a small Kawai grand (5 foot or so) which I had an hour and a half to
> tune, in an auditorium in a local high school..  Upon arrival, I
> discovered that it was about a quarter step flat in the middle, and
> progressively worse up to the top at about a half step flat.
> 
> So I decided to try that 10 minute pitch raise I've been hearing about,
> followed by a good tuning.  (Actually, I was interrupted several times,
> so it was probably closer to fifteen minutes.)  I tuned it about 3
> cycles sharp in the middle, and made sure I had 2 or 3 good beats in
> every octave I tuned all the way to the top.  Tuned the bass pretty
> close to right, and followed quickly up the scale with the unisons.
> Nothing precise at all, just 'throw it in somewhere'.
> 
> Got interrupted again for a few minutes by the sound man who came to
> find an intermittent problem with the PA system.
> 
> Proceeded to do a 'good' tuning.  Finished in about an hour and fifteen
> minutes, and still had time to play a few numbers and remove Eight!
> pencils from the action.  (Did I mention this was a high school
> auditorium?)
> 
> The thing that was remarkable to me was how Terrible this thing sounded
> before I started, and how Great it sounded just a little over an hour
> later.  It was like it just 'fell' into place.
> 
> I've been hearing that it comes out better with two quick tunings than
> fighting with one long one when they're flat like this.  It's just now
> that I'm finding out just how true this is.
> 
> Thanks for the threads on this topic.  They gave me a push in the right
> direction.  (Sorry if it seems a little boring to those more 'seasoned'
> tuners out there,  but it's pretty neat to me!)
> 
> Best wishes to all,
> 
> Brian Trout
> Quarryville, PA
>