tuning speed

[David Love]

Stephen:

I'm not quite sure what you're asking, but if you want the piano at A440,
you will have to overpull from 10c flat by a factor of 30% (unisons as you
go).  Or 3c sharp (not quite 1 bps).  When you are done, the piano should be
at A440 and can then be fine tuned.

David Love


----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Airy" <stephen_airy@yahoo.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: January 14, 2002 7:18 PM
Subject: Re: tuning speed


> So I take it that one pass when my Ricca is 10 cents
> flat a couple days after I tune it to 440 (and it was
> 10 cents flat before I had tuned it and it had been a
> month or so) isn't enough?
>
> --- David Love <davidlovepianos@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > Stephen:
> >
> > Sorry, part 2 of your question:  when to do a pitch
> > raise.  It depends on
> > how concerned you are about where the piano ends up.
> >  Any change in pitch
> > will result in the piano going back in the direction
> > you brought it by
> > approximately 30%, thus the overpull calculation.
> > It seems to me that above
> > 8 cents correction the piano starts to not hold tune
> > with itself.  But that
> > seems to vary from piano to piano.
> >
> > David Love
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Stephen Airy" <stephen_airy@yahoo.com>
> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> > Sent: January 14, 2002 1:00 PM
> > Subject: Re: tuning speed
> >
> >
> > > Ok, so 2 passes is always better than one.
> > >
> > > Here's part of my question -- when a piano is,
> > within,
> > > say, 2 or 3 cents, is one pass OK?  Or, what is
> > the
> > > max it can be off before two passes is
> > recommended?
> > >
> > > Also, what is the farthest flat for a piano to be
> > > before you all might recommend three passes (one
> > up to
> > > pitch with no overpull, second with overpull,
> > third
> > > fine tune)?  Also, is there ever any case where
> > > someone would recommend four or more passes?
> > (We'll
> > > assume that the pinblock and bridges are in fair
> > > condition (good enough to take a pitch raise).)
> > >
> > > --- David Love <davidlovepianos@earthlink.net>
> > wrote:
> > > > Reading all these posts on whether one pass or
> > two
> > > > is more accurate I think
> > > > that the focus has been in the wrong area.  All
> > > > things being equal, two
> > > > passes will always be more accurate than one.  A
> > > > second pass at some level
> > > > should always be done to insure accuracy. The
> > > > question should really be
> > > > about what should be accomplished on each pass.
> > The
> > > > answer lies partially
> > > > in the psychology of perception.
> > > >
> > > > One's ability to make fine discriminations will
> > > > always be related to the
> > > > range of the field.  The smaller the range, the
> > > > greater ones ability to make
> > > > fine discriminations.  In practice, that means
> > that
> > > > if you are pulling the
> > > > piano into tune from all over the place, you
> > will
> > > > not be able to
> > > > discriminate subtleties in the quality of the
> > > > unisons that you would be if
> > > > the piano were already basically in tune.
> > > > Similarly, for example, if you
> > > > are adjusting repetition springs and the
> > tensions
> > > > are somewhat chaotic, you
> > > > will not be able to perceive small differences
> > as
> > > > easily on the first pass
> > > > as you will on the second.  Thus the argument
> > for
> > > > going over a regulation
> > > > more than once as well.
> > > >
> > > > As far as what you should try to accomplish on
> > each
> > > > pass, then, on the first
> > > > pass you should try to get the piano in as good
> > tune
> > > > as possible without
> > > > lingering too long.  My goal is that if I leave
> > it
> > > > after the first pass, I
> > > > won't have much doubt as to its acceptibility.
> > You
> > > > should definitely
> > > > concentrate on making sure that each string is
> > set
> > > > and stable.  For me that
> > > > means tuning with test blow force, checking with
> > > > soft blows, and not leaving
> > > > any string until I am confident that it is going
> > to
> > > > stay there.  A quick
> > > > first pass that doesn't achieve at least that
> > is, to
> > > > me, a waste of time.
> > > > On the second pass, one should only be listening
> > to
> > > > the unisons and making
> > > > very small refinements.  The fewer changes you
> > have
> > > > to make, the easier it
> > > > will be to make very fine discriminations.  You
> > > > certainly don't want to be
> > > > guessing as to whether any note will withstand a
> > > > hard blow.  If you are in
> > > > doubt, you better check each pin again.  One or
> > two
> > > > unisons that don't hold
> > > > from normal playing is too many.
> > > >
> > > > As far as speed goes, it doesn't really matter.
> > If
> > > > you find after much
> > > > practice that it takes you 4 hours to tune a
> > piano
> > > > you might want to
> > > > consider whether your ability to earn enough
> > money
> > > > might be compromised.  I
> > > > personally can't do a good solid tuning in much
> > less
> > > > than an hour and it's
> > > > usually 1.00 - 1.25 hours for a piano that is
> > > > basically out of tune.  When I
> > > > was a strict aural tuner, it took a little bit
> > > > longer.  I do them faster
> > > > sometimes for a variety of reasons, but I like
> > to
> > > > feel confident when I
> > > > leave the piano that there aren't any whiny
> > unisons
> > > > and that the piano will
> > > > stand up to very hard playing.  I charge
> > accordingly
> > > > and make no compromises
> > > > between my ability to earn a living and deliver
> > > > quality work.
> > > >
> > > > David Love
> > > >
> > >
> > >
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