My first tuning attempt

[reggaepass at aol.com]

David and List,

  I tuned by ear alone for my first decade of tuning. Had to get 
something electronic for pitch accuracy, which lead to using an ETD. 
For raising pitch, IMO, you are really missing out if you're not using 
a gizmo. It's faster and more accurate than raising pitch by ear--the 
greatest advantage of machines (though there are others). In order to 
do a top flight tuning, one MUST be able to achieve it by ear. If one 
is not capable of that, you are going to fall short of "best". When 
doing a fine tuning, I strip mute the entire piano (which must be 
within 1-2 cents of the destination pitch) and do various aural checks 
along the way, in tandem with the machine. This takes me less time than 
tuning by ear alone and is somehow less fatiguing. Since becoming an 
ETD user, I have done occasional aural tunings (for private clients 
when the machine takes the day off, and for Yamaha and Steinway while 
attending their service seminars). It's been like riding a bicycle. Due 
to my "hybrid" approach, I guess I never really STOPPED being an aural 
tuner once I started using a machine.

 My mind wanders whether tuning by ear only or with a machine.

 You asked!

 Cheers,

 Alan E.

 -----Original Message-----
 From: david at davidandersenpianos.com
 To: pianotech at ptg.org
 Sent: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 9:21 AM
 Subject: Re: My first tuning attempt


  "For me it also made my ear so incredibly lazy. After I sold the 
VT-100 and went back to aural tuning, I was literally amazed at the 
loss in my aural skills that had once been so quick and accurate. It 
took several months to get that confidence back. I won't choose that 
again unless my hearing starts to fail."


 Bingo.


  I can't say, with surety, that what happened with John will, or does, 
happen with every aural tuner that makes the switch to mainly ETD 
tuning. I sincerely hope not. Because the most precious tool, the 
biggest asset, the real payoff in terms of a successful business for us 
artisans is our exponentially enhanced ability to listen---and feel--- 
in a focused, calm, attentive, relaxed way.


  I guess the question I have for all you ETD users is this, and I would 
deeply appreciate honesty here: where is your attention when you tune a 
piano? Do you listen in a focused, calm, attentive, relaxed way, giving 
your self to the world of sound? Or are you "on automatic," and free to 
roam through your thoughts, dreams, and schemes, putting the bulk of 
your attention on the stream of dialog in your head? I believe it's an 
important question, and I hope I get both honesty and collegiality in 
the replies, if any.


 Happy Monday, kids.  I'm off to work......


 David Andersen
  


 =

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