Pitch Raise, was: Standard Pitch

[Paul Chick (Earthlink)]

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]On
Behalf Of cswearingen@daigger.com
Sent: Monday, October 13, 2003 9:15 AM
To: Pianotech
Subject: RE: Pitch Raise, was: Standard Pitch







Paul,

I would love to hear your procedure for fine-tuning a piano in forty
minutes.

Do you strip mute the instrument?

---Yes.

 How many mutes do you use?

---4

You must minimize mute placement and other ancillary maneuvers in order to
tune this quickly.

---Yes.  The muting patterns are set up so you begin by tuning only single
strings, then bi-cords, then tricords across the entire piano.  The bass
string mute is inserted between every other note; the midsection between
every note; and one strip in the treble mutes one side of the unisons on
every other note (at this point, depress the sustain pedal, lip a piece of
card stock between the dampers and strings, and push this strip below the
dampers), and the 2nd mute is inserted to mute the other side of every other
note (and pushed below the dampers).   All notes are now "single strings."
Set your temperament as usual if you aural tune; then tune down to A0. Pull
the bass mute strip. Start at the lowest bicord and begin with its untuned
string, then up to the next note-its untuned string, then skip 2 tuning pins
and your at the next note's untuned string etc. It's a tune 2 skip 2 pattern
through the rest of the bicords.  The mute is gone, it's just you and the
untuned.  Now, move above your temperament and tune as usual to C8 but DO
NOT REMOVE ANY MUTE STRIPS!!! Now, pull the top mute strip (the 2nd one you
installed) out and determine which unisons you've opened.  The pattern will
be every other note following an upper row of pins horizontally.  I begin my
unison tuning at C8, because that's where I'm sitting; tune down to the
midsection, pull the mid section mute and insert it to match the pattern of
the remaining treble mute (the 1st strip mute you installed in the treble).
Then I tune down to the break, find the lower row of pins on every other
note and tune my way back to the top.  This opens the unisons to "bicords."
When I'm back to the top at B7, I pull the remaining mutes from treble and
midsection, find the opened strings and follow the rows of every other note
down to the break then back up to the treble. Now you're tuning tricords. A
wedge mute is inserted between unisons to quiet a wild string.  It takes me
3-4 minutes to install the strip mutes and 5 seconds to remove them.  I do
not have pick up a mute until I'm tuning tricords, and then it's only when
necessary.  I've worked out a pattern for ETD users (including me
occasionally) that starts at A0.
	The piano must be close to the desired pitch within all the string
sections.  Now, apply these patterns to a piano when you pitch correct and
you're only looking for a tension adjustment.  Things will move along very
quickly.  You can pitch raise and tune in 59 minutes.

Paul C


Corte Swearingen
Chicago

d