test blows

[David Love]

Now I didn't say I told any of my customers that, but it can give you a
clue as to what's going on.  

Just to elaborate a bit on this subject (FWIW).  I see many tuners starting
out focussing on temperament.  It's not surprising.  It's the more
interesting part of tuning and the most difficult.  Like golf, people tend
to practice most with their drivers.  It's the most difficult, but the part
of the game used the least.  They would be much better off practicing the
short game where most shots are taken.  The temperament comprises 12
strings out of 200+.  As we've heard from recent reports on perceptions of
different temperaments, many people are hard pressed to tell the difference
between equal temperament and even a fairly strong well temperament.  Much
less between various degrees of equal temperament.  There is a lot of
leeway with temperaments.   A mediocre temperament will go unnoticed, most
likely, if the octaves and unisons are clean and stable.  The contrary is
not true.  The most perfect temperament is lost with octaves and unisons
that are loose and unstable.  In order of priority, those who are
developing their skills would do well to practice unisons, unisons,
unisons, then octaves and lastly, temperament.  Always practice with
stability in mind.  If tuning a temperament takes too long, then use an ETD
at first, even if you want to tune the rest aurally.  The ETD will also
give you an objective way to test your tuning stability.  All ETD's will
give a very solid temperament.  Their differences are more apparent as you
move out.  Don't go out and tune for customers until you can tune solid
unisons and octaves that are stable.  A customer is more likely to be lost
for a tuning that is not solid than anything else and they will never be
regained.  Temperament skills can be allowed to develop over time without
the same negative consequences.  

David Love
davidlovepianos@earthlink.net


> [Original Message]
> From: Richard Brekne <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no>
> To: <davidlovepianos@earthlink.net>; Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Date: 8/19/2003 2:17:33 PM
> Subject: Re: test blows
>
>
>
> David Love wrote:
>
> > As a general rule, if unisons go out it's your technique, if the
intervals
> > go out while the unisons stay solid, it's the environment.  There are,
of
> > course, always mitigating factors.
> >
>
> Nice way of putting it there David. I'll jot this one down in my "How to
explain
> to pianists" book. Thanks
>
> RicB
>
>
> >
> > David Love
> > davidlovepianos@earthlink.net
> >
> > >
>
> --
> Richard Brekne
> RPT, N.P.T.F.
> UiB, Bergen, Norway
> mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
> http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html
> http://www.hf.uib.no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html
>