The best ETD tuners

[Jim Coleman, Sr.]

The following quote got my attention.

"The best ETD tunings I've seen in tests barely scraped
by
> at
> > the 80% level and it usually took them 2 or more tries to make it.
>

I wonder if Walter would care to elucidate a little more on this. I have 
seen probably many more tests given than any other one person except  
Michael Travis. My experience has been that ETD tuners usually get 100% 
on Bass, Treble and High Treble. The ETD is not used on Unisons, 
Stability and the Midrange. The area where they have the most difficulty 
is in the midrange because they are required to tune this section by ear, 
just as all aural tuners do. ETD tuners most often get 100% in the Bass, 
Treble and High Treble. I cannot say the same for aural tuners.

I have a private student who started in Jan. I expect him to make RPT by 
the end of the year, maybe sooner. By the end of March he had tuned for 
his first Concert and recording session with the SAT III. His aural 
unisons were impeccable, his stability was very good. Another RPT who 
had witnessed his tuning echoed the same opinion. By now he has tuned 
over 200 pianos and is itching to get started on Aural Temperament.

For the past 2.5 years I begged students to come and study with me. I'm 
still largely in the wheelchair, so it is nice when people come to me. I 
go out to tune 2 or 3 times a week, but mostly I stay home and excercise.
As a result, I can teach or monitor a student's progress without leaving. 

Over the past several years I have had Randy Potter graduates come for a 
day or two for one-on-one coaching in tuning or regulation or voicing.

My method of teaching tuning is: Unisons until they as good as mine. Then 
I introduce octaves. When they are as good as mine, then I teach 
Temperament. My fastest student did all this in one month's time. Within 
that first year, I turned over to him my most sophisticated client, 
the Phoenix Symphony which he held for 7 years until he died. Now I don't 
expect anyone else to come up that fast (he had a 200 IQ), but with
diligence one can certainly learn to tune well within a year. It's just 
like the directions given to get to Carnegie Hall in NY City. "Practice, 
man, Practice." One must practice intelligently. That's where a teacher 
or mentor comes in handy.

My advice to the beginning tuners is that they have a good ETD as a 
faithful tutor and have a local mentor who is proficient in both aural 
and electronic tuning. It will shorten the learning curve. Unfortunately, 
there are novices out there (both aural and ETD users) who have not the 
foggiest idea how to produce a good tuning. They shouldn't however expect 
us to come begging them to learn. If they don't learn, they will never be 
satisfied with their work and they will never develop the kind of 
following which will make them a success in their community.

As many witnessed this summer in Chicago, PTG goes a long way toward 
providing excellent instruction in many specific fields. Those who take 
advantage of this will prosper in the long run. Private instruction will 
just get you there sooner.

Jim Coleman, Sr.