Maybe they should all try to tune their own pianos....

[John Ross]

Don't give up Mark, it does come with practice. Although, be sure and learn
to tune aurally first.
I started out years ago, with a SOT, and intended to improve my aural
skills. I never did gain any competence doing a tuning strictly aurally, I
need my ETD assistant.
I passed the tuning part of the PTG exam, with the ETD assistant, with an
average in the high 90's. But was never able to get the strictly aural part.
So the ETD's have proven themselves, and with pin setting, and aural unisons
being tested as well. I and my customers feel I do a credible job.
Funnily enough, I only remember very few who wanted a strictly aural tuning.
All the main tuners around here, now use an ETD, although I was in a
minority for years.
Regards,
John M. Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Davidson" <mark.davidson@mindspring.com>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, June 27, 2003 10:26 AM
Subject: Re: Maybe they should all try to tune their own pianos....


> Interesting.  I'm North Carolina where the temp is currently 73F
> (at 9AM)and the dew point is 70F. Just the opposite.  I can
> have my piano tuned in March and it's pretty good for at least
> six months. I don't bother to tune in January because it'll be
> out in 2 months.
>
> Sweating is not optional here.
>
> Reminds me of the argument between two technicians about whether
> air conditioning lowered relative humidity or raised it.  They
> were both right, only one was in Arizona and the other in Florida.
>
> Anyway I'm guilty of having tuned my own (using Tunelab)
> for that January tuning.  Without breaking strings (but I
> practiced on an old upright first).  I don't think you guys
> have too much to worry about.  It takes me >3 hours and still
> doesn't sound as good as a good tuner can do.
>
> -Mark
>
> >
> > Hi List,
> >I try to discourage tunings in the summer here.
> >The humidity just fluctuates too much, for the tuning to
> >stay. At the University where I tune, they
> >insist on Sept. and Jan., in Sept. I lower the pitch in
> >some areas 30c, and in Jan. I lower it 30c. Although this
> >year I may 'float' some of them a bit so the swing is not so
> >much.
> >
> >I tell people to put it off till after the high humidity is
> >gone. It has started already, yesterday the last house was
> >80F and 69%RH. If they play the piano through the summer, I
> >recommend a D/C system.
> >
> >Then again I like the summers off. I just switched my furnace
> >off last week, and it will have to go back on mid Sept. We
> >have a short summer. I just hate to perspire (sweat), when I
> >tune, and the houses up here are generally not air
> >conditioned.
> >
> >Regards
> >
> >John M. Ross
> >Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
> >jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca
>
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