Observations on Tuning

[John M. Formsma]

Tom Cole wrote:

>John M. Formsma wrote:
>
> 2)  When tuning, use a soft touch while listening.  I have noticed that if
> the ear is developed in this way it learns to hear things better so that
it
> is totally unnecessary to pound, pound, pound away on the notes.  (In my
> opinion, pounding does not contribute as much to the tuning stability as
> does good hammer lever technique.  Therefore, why play hard when it is not
> necessary?)

<<<<Uh, John, you might be raising some hackles here. I hope you have your
flame suit handy.

Conventional wisdom has it that a string is not properly set unless you
use loud test blows. This is not to say that what you are doing is
wrong. It's just that the majority of us in the profession rely on at
least a firm test blow as positive assurance that the tuning is going to
stay.>>>>

I guess I'm ready.   I've never been flamed before, so this will be a new
experience.  :-)  Seriously, though, I do use a firm test blow, but it is
only that--a TEST blow to make sure the pitch will be stable.  I've used the
SAT to see exactly what happens to a note when my technique is used, so I
pretty much know how it works.  The way I figure it, under normal
circumstances, a tuner's test blow will be harder than most players will
play.  Therefore, I don't see the need to beat the poor piano half to death.
:-)  ----JF

<<<<I'm glad to say that I'm not of that school of thought. I was mentored
by a musician/tuner who abhorred any sort of pounding on the keys
because it was unmusical and damaging to self and piano. He also held
that loud test blows were not as effective for long-term stability as
skillful pin manipulation.

Therefore, I learned from the beginning how to become sensitive to the
feel of the pin in the block as well as being able to sense the
difference of string tensions between the speaking length segment and
the tuning pin segment>>>>>

I think lever technique is the key to good stability.  ---JF

<<<<<While I think that tuning with a light touch is the ideal approach, it
does take a while to develop that feel for consistent pin/string setting
and at least occasional test blows should be used to check for
stability, especially on an unfamiliar piano. >>>>>

Right.  I use test blows, but a very light touch while tuning.  I do not use
test blows to settle the string, or anything like that.  I do all of that
with my tuning lever. ---JF

<<<<But in answer to your question, what we are discussing is more a matter
of style than what is "correct" and is largely influenced by how we
learned to tune originally. It's interesting that you abandoned your
pounding technique in favor of a completely different approach. Did you
discover this on your own or learn it from a colleague? >>>>

Well, a mentor enlightened me, so I've been practicing that ever since I was
shown a better way.  Also, Virgil Smith mentioned that in his tuning class
this year at the national convention.

Thanks for your input.

John Formsma
Blue Mountain, MS