Concert Tuning for anyone

[Don]

Hi Terry,

#1 have the lighting as it will be for the concert for 3 hours before you
start tuning.
#2 tune as fast as you can
#3 on your second or third pass tune aurally.
#4 start the tuning as close to the curtain time as is possible with an
extra 15 minutes of "cushion" built into allow for emergencies.
#5 stay for the concert and touch up the piano at intermission. Charge
accordingly.
#6 give the hall a detailed report on pitch change, humidity, temperature,
regulation, voicing and the general condition of the instrument.
#7 don't invite comments about tuning, if the piano is acceptable you will
hear nothing. If it is a disaster, you won't be back.

If the piano is not within 2 cents before you start it is not likely going
to be an reliable tuning. 

The C7 can be quite a nice instrument. Sounds like this one has been abused
and/or poorly serviced. 10 cents tells the tale. That's simply unacceptable
in a concert instrument.

At 06:01 AM 10/19/2007 -0400, you wrote:
  The piano was 10 cents flat upon
>arrival. During the  two-hour pitch raising and tuning process, the AC
>probably cycled six times or  more, blowing for lengthy times. That way I
>could get maybe one section of the  scale tuned, and then while tuning the
>next section the pitch of the previous  section would wander three to five
>cents sharp or flat. Needless to say, when  all was said and done, this
>piano had about the worst octaves I have ever walked  away from.   And then
>of course, later on, the 4,000 stage lights at  10,000 watts each will go
>on and be directed at the piano.    string the aural tuner sets has its 
>pitch based on previous strings (read: previous octaves) - and maybe as the
> sections/octaves wander up and down with the AC, the aural tuner would be 
>keeping better pace/pitch with the moving piano pitch? Second, is there
>anything  else one can do in this situation? Or is the answer to question
>#2 "Welcome to  concert work!"   Thanks.   Terry Farrell
Regards,
Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.P.T.
Non calor sed umor est qui nobis incommodat

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