I tuned purely by ear for the first ten years and in conjunction with a machine for the next twenty plus. I think the entire RPT tuning test should be aural. There's knowing what you want to hear, and then there's getting it with your tuning lever. In my opinion, an RPT should be able to do both by ear alone, regardless of whether or not s/he chooses to enlist a machine in his or her normal practice. Alan Eder, RPT -----Original Message----- From: Paul T Williams <pwilliams4 at unlnotes.unl.edu> To: pianotech at ptg.org Sent: Thu, 18 Dec 2008 3:10 pm Subject: Re: [pianotech] RPT Credibility and "Status" Hi Al and Ron, I, too have only tuned aurally now for 16 years. My mentor, Steve Brady, would only teach that way. I can't for the life of me understand why anyone could possibly tune with an ETD without knowing/hearing the basics! I still only tune aurally, and when my ears get a little tired in a few years, will consider using an ETD. Many customers were very impressed when I started tuning their pianos just using my A-440 fork....and several would specifically ask for this process, not trusting an ETD..(wondering why Duaine never has a customer ask about it. I guess he doesn't concert tune much!) They would ask, "Don't you use one of those 'machines'?" I simply told them that all they do is speed up the process and technicians still need to hear the very fine points of tuning that a 'machine' can't do! I hesitated to respond to this blog, and sometimes my blood pressure would rise, but then let the water slide off my back like a duck. For RPT status, NEVER stoop so low as to not let prospective RPT's only tune with an ETD. It not only lowers the expectations of what a really crafted technician is, but lowers the standards of the PTG as a whole. There.. I've said my peace. Let's let this dog sleep! Merry Christmas to y'all. We're in for another ice/snow storm tonight and I am supposed to drive out 90 miles to tune 2 Bluthners tomorrow! Wish me luck!!! Paul T. Williams RPT Piano Technician School of Music 5 Westbrook Bldg. University of Nebraska Lincoln, NE 68588-0100 pwilliams4 at unl.edu Ron Overs <sec at overspianos.com.au> Sent by: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org 12/18/2008 03:00 PM Please respond to pianotech at ptg.org To pianotech at ptg.org cc Subject Re: [pianotech] RPT Credibility and "Status" Al, Exactly. I have only ever tuned aurally, and it came to me some years ago as a surprise that there were techs who were doing fine work using an ETD. I questioned Richard Davenport about this when I first met him in 2001 and he said, "If you can't tune a piano without an ETD, you won't be able to tune with one".=2 0The ETD is just another tool. The executive decision must still be made by the ears and not the eyes. Ron O. >I have been following this conversation and have not gotten >involved, but now I will. I started tuning aurally in 1964. About 3 >1/2 years ago I decided to try the cyber tuner. I wouldn't give it >up for the world. It's a great tool, but for the life of me, I don't >know how anyone can do a really good tuning without using their ears >along with it. In my opinion, ETD's can't do the job consistently >without aural tuning skills. > >my 2 cents > >Al G -- OVERS PIANOS - SYDNEY Grand Piano Manufacturers _______________________ Web http://overspianos.com.au mailto:ron at overspianos.com.au _______________________ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech_ptg.org/attachments/20081218/b760325f/attachment.html>
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