audience throws off pitch

[Kevin E. Ramsey]

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Funny, I just posted almost the same thing.  The reason for my =
responding here is that it never, ever, ceases to amaze me how few =
people who are in charge of these "concerts" even have a clue as to what =
conditions we need to get good results. I suppose after dealing with all =
the managers, performers, movers, schedulers, the last thing they want =
to hear is the piano tuner complaining that the temperature or =
conditions are not right. I can understand their plight, but we have to =
remember that if the piano doesn't sound right, we get blamed. Even if =
it's not within our control because of differing conditions. I think =
that's why some very high level technicians don't accept concert work. =
Many times it's too stressful, and there's always the possibility that =
your reputation is going to take a hit.

Kevin.
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Marcel Carey=20
  To: Pianotech=20
  Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2004 5:00 PM
  Subject: RE: audience throws off pitch


  Often enough I have to work in difficult situations. I tune a Yamaha
  C-5 for a hall (pop music though) and have to tune in the morning.
  I've gotten there to find the piano cold. No wonder they sometimes
  call me back for another tuning after sound check. What I have found
  is that the pitch will drift quite a bit (octaves mostly). If I have
  to tune the piano the next day for another performance and find the
  piano still cold, I will just touch up unisons and leave octaves
  beating a little so that when the piano warms up it "should" fall into
  place. I would like to have more precise scientific way to predict
  this moving, butt...

  The other place I work at is a summer music festival. They rehearse
  all day, I tune in at around 5 pm, and as soon as I'm done, they start
  the air conditionning FULL BLAST. The hall is small 500 seats and it
  gets very hot once the concert starts. I can sometimes feel unisons at
  the beginning of the concert, but it usually gets better as the hall
  warms up until it gets to hot and then unisons start making a little
  bit of noise again.

  So, I think it is almost impossible to do a perfect tuning in these
  circomstances. The way I found out works the best for me is to do a
  tuning in the morning and then touch it up after rehearsal. When I
  attend concerts, I usually keep my fingers crossed.

  Marcel Carey, RPT
  Sherbrooke, Qc

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