Unison Flatter than each Individual string?

[Richard Moody]

Bill Ballard wrote
> I can sit on a bench between two keyboards  and given clean
unisons
> on a given note, play both notes, listen for the motion, and
correct
> it by transferring one measurement.

I don't know of you are referring to machine or aural but if aural
here is a problem of aural tuners that hasn't been brought up as
yet.

If you listen to each of the single strings of each unison so many
times you will hear one that is better than the others, or worse,
or one that is not so good.  Because of this I like to listen to
the
middle string of the unison and tune to that.  It seems the
outside strings are the ones that tend to be wild or "sound
different".  This maybe because the middle string is being hit by
a better proportion of the hammer than the two outside strings.
For personal preference I don't like the sound of a rubber mute in
the tenor section especially between two strings of the unisons
and it can be cumbersome in an upright.  You can imagine how a
rubber mute will affect string level as opposed to a felt temp
strip. If that makes a difference in tuning I really don't know.
 Now I will admit that for touch ups for performance, if
you need a temp strip you are in trouble. But "touch ups" is not
exactly "tuning" but rather a different procedure entirely.
    It was mentioned that unison tuning as you go is a good
exercise.  If you like that one try this one.  Strip mute the
tenor and lay the bearings.  Then using 20 rubber mutes set a
temperament on the outside string.  Pull the mutes and reset them
to hear how close the two tuned strings are.

    To be fair as possible may I offer this?   If you have not
seen Virgil tune then you are missing out on "unison tuning as you
go".  On the other hand if you have not seen Jim Coleman tune then
you are missing out on tuning single strings to each other with
the
whole piano strip muted.

    What a classic it would be, a video of Jim and Virgil tuning.

----ricm



----- Original Message -----
From: Bill Ballard <yardbird@pop.vermontel.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 21, 2002 10:16 PM
Subject: Re: Unison Flatter than each Individual string?


> At 12:07 AM -0500 8/20/02, Richard Moody wrote:
> >>  As far as Ric's comment on why wasn't this talked about 100
yrs.
> >ago, well
> >>  according to Bill Garlick it was. Which is why places like
the
> >Bosendorfer
> >>  factory taught the tuners to only with a single rubber mute.
It
> >yielded
> >>  better results.
> >>  Tom Servinsky, RPT
> >
> >Sorry I should have said "published".   However first hand info
> >about how they tune in factories is a pet research project, so
if
> >more information about that is available I am all
> >       ---ric
>
> It's not unusual for a tuner to instinctively develop a way of
> correcting if not anticipating this motion, and not be
consciously
> aware of it. I tune the top half of the piano with a single
mute.  My
> octave tuning didn't clean up until I learned pitch shimming,
and
> this technique was an absolute requirement for single mute
tuning.
>
> I can sit on a bench between two keyboards  and given clean
unisons
> on a given note, play both notes, listen for the motion, and
correct
> it by transferring one measurement. But it never occurred to me
that
> the divergence I was reading between the just tuned three string
> unison and its test note, was the by-product of coupling three
> strings into a unison. I always assumed that it was the response
to
> changes in pressure on a flexible board, matter how tiny those
> changes.
>
> At 10:21 PM -0400 8/21/02, Tom Servinsky wrote:
> >When you realize that you cannot go further on in the tuning
until
> >the unison is
> >absolutely clean you pay more attention to those pesky details.
>
> It gets better. You are forced to squeeze the last drop of
motion out
> of your unisons, because any trace of motion left in the unisons
will
> immediately cloud the intervals. If you can't hear the
intervals,
> what are you going to do? In short you get very good at unisons.
>
> Bill Ballard RPT
> NH Chapter, P.T.G.
>
> "There's a difference between 'involved' and 'committed.' When
> providing ham and eggs for breakfast, the hen is involved. The
pig is
> committed."
>      ...........(Milo Sturgis in Jonathan Kellerman's novel
"Self-Defense")
> +++++++++++++++++++++