I agree about tuning unisons as you go. I used strips about 10 years. I had heard of people tuning the whole piano with nothing but two mutes but I thought that sounded nuts. In a lecture on one of the early Randy Potter videos, Jim Coleman Sr. mentions how you may eventually tune with nothing but rubber mutes . I didn't believe I would ever do it! The temperament strip had become my security blanket. However, it was false security, and I was often disappointed with how much drift would happen in my carefully crafted temperament when I pulled in my unisons. The light really went on, when I accidently forgot my temperament strips one day. I was forced to do a large pitch raise and tuning with nothing but my mutes. It felt very awkward - the intervals with open unisons sound more complex - any inconsistancies in the single strings are combined together. It not only forces you to get pickier about your unisons, it also hightens your ability to listen through "junk", one of the more important skills required for high level tuning. Once I got hooked on tuning unisons as I go, I have had a hard time giving it up, and I feel that my tunings have reached a new level of clarity and stability. (at least that my fantasy <g>) I go in the following order - which works for me, although I would not claim it is the most effecient method. Tune temperament and complete down to the end of the tenor section, and then up to the top of the tenor. I then quickly bring in the bass ( I usually don't use any mutes in the bass, but prefer to tune with the bichords open). I then listen to how flat the treble is and decide if and how much I want to "pre-tension" the treble. This was a technique I learned from Steve Brady. I go right along the top row of pins (in an upright), pulling the left strings up sharp, about twice as many beats as the note is flat. This is an approximation and is done quickly. Then, when I come back and tune the treble it doesn't drop nearly as much, sometimes hardly at all. Ultimately, the temperament strip doesn't help your efficiencly. It just adds more steps in the process. Now, I find them mostly useful for taking the knock out of the pedals on upright pianos. MOST uprights have too much noise when the pedal is released. On Sat, Aug 1, 2009 at 10:47 PM, Rob McCall <rob at mccallpiano.com> wrote: > David, > > I'm just curious of the pattern in which you tune. Do you start with your > temperament and go up from there and then come back and tune going down > below the temperament? Or do you have some other method/pattern you use when > you tune unisons as you go? Do you just use the rubber mutes, set the middle > string, then tune the unisons and move to the next note? > > I'm sorry if this seems basic. I just want to make sure I'm clear on what > it is you're saying... > > I don't mind tuning unisons as I go. I just want to end up with a tuning > that doesn't require me to go back through and fix a bunch of stuff. > > Thanks! > > Rob > > > On Aug 01, 2009, at 21:33 , David Ilvedson wrote: > > >> If you want to make a big change in your tuning experience, start tuning >> unisons as you go. If that is too big of a change, start with unisons as >> you go for the pitch raise. Right off the bat, the pitch change is less. >> You don't spend time inserting the strip mute. Start NOW and you will be >> glad you did... >> > > -- Ryan Sowers, RPT Puget Sound Chapter Olympia, WA www.pianova.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech.php/attachments/20090801/cf68e6db/attachment.htm>
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