tuning timing

[Farrell]

I find my speed increases incrementally, but steadily. I have now tuned
about 800 pianos. I find that I commonly spend about 70 to 90 minutes tuning
a piano that is within 4 cents of pitch. But it varies. Last night I tuned a
awful S&S B at a church and a 15 cent pitch raise and a tuning took me 2-1/2
hours. Every string was like pulling a tooth. It was a bad piano. Lots of
noise. Then this morning I set two new records for me. A newish Kawai
console, 20 cent pitch raise in 29 minutes and a 51 minute tuning that I was
real happy with.

So just when you think that you will never be able to tune faster/better,
progress occurs, albeit in tiny steps!

Terry Farrell
Piano Tuning & Service
Tampa, Florida
mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul" <tunenbww@clear.lakes.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2001 8:45 AM
Subject: Re: tuning timing


> Charles
> I don't know what muting technique you or the others who responded to you
> use, but I discovered that I can tune better-more efficiently and
> proficiently when I mute the whole piano, tune the center strings, pull
the
> mute and tune the rest of the unison(s). I've developed this process into
> using two strip mutes for treble unisons, but that gets into another area.
> What I learned was that the piano "quieted down." Fewer strings speaking
> made fewer sounds. This makes it easier for me to hear the string(s) I am
> tuning. What I've also learned is that the piano must be close to the
> desired/required pitch BEFORE any tuning can be done. So, if any pitch
> raising of any amount needs to be done, DO IT! And while pitch raising, As
> Jim Coleman SR. has stated, don't tune; you want the tension right. It's
> down and dirty. Then tune. The whole process has speeded up my tuning
> considerably. Several passes ARE faster than one slow, methodical
run.Three
> passes is very common for my tunings; and it usually takes me less than an
> hour to produce a quality tuning. Keep practicing hammer technique. Listen
> carefully how far your pitch changes (if any) after you've removed your
> tuning lever. Compensate that drift with over or under pull. Several
steady
> forte blows should give you a set string and tuning pin. Hang in there. It
> will come eventually!
>
> Paul Chick
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Charles Neuman <cneuman@phy.duke.edu>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Monday, January 22, 2001 9:42 AM
> Subject: tuning timing
>
>
> > I'm curious how long it takes you all to complete each part of the
tuning
> > process. I'm not as concerned with the overal time as with the
proportion
> > of time spent on each section. For example, setting the temperament,
> > midrange, high treble, and bass.
> >
> > The high treble seems to eat up a lot of time. The unisons are harder
for
> > me there since the beats are more sensitive to hammer movement. By the
> > time I get to the last octave, I'm ready to scream, and the notes start
to
> > sound like a metal spoon hitting a frypan. Perhaps a nice grand would
have
> > nicer sounding notes up there. It seems like a drag to spend so much
time
> > on notes that will rarely be played.
> >
> > Charles Neuman
> > Plainview, NY
> >
> >
> >
>
>