Hi Rob, For concert level work less that 2 cents change on any note. For domestic tuning less than 4 cents change on any note. I prefer the term "pitch correction" as it also covers pianos that have drifted sharp. Be sure to book the next tuning appointment before leaving the clients home, as the piano will not be stable. One more technique to add to the others that have been mentioned is so called "deaf" tuning. Often if A4 is 40 cents flat, A6 may be 100 cents flat. Overcompensation of more than 30 cents above pitch may cause string failure. In the area where the pitch is extremely low, quickly run through the bottom line of pins pulling each one up without listening at all. This will help to pre-tension those areas, though it seems to not add to the final stability. Learn about humidity control systems for pianos. Where I live they are, for most pianos, essential for great stability. (i.e. less than 2 cents pitch change per year). I was recently in England visiting my daughter who has just graduated from Trinity College of Music (I'm very proud of her accomplishment). She had moved to a different location and there was a piano in the home. The piano had been neglected for many years and was over 100 cents flat at A4. It was tuned on a Wednesday (two passes) by the local (aural?) tuner. By the time I saw it, six days later, it was out by these amounts: A4 Worst note -15.6 -146 first pass -4 -30 second pass 0 -15 third pass 0 -10 fourth pass The piano was allowed to "rest" for 30 minutes between pass #2 and #3, and for an hour between #3 and #4--almost certainly a luxury that will not be available in a clients home, unless they happen to have more than one piano. Three hours after the fourth pass I checked again and the piano appeared to be standing in tune with stable unisons and acceptable octaves. I felt there would be little to be gained by a fifth pass. I was unable to return to the piano again during my visit--but my daughter who hears well mentioned the unisons were not perfect a week later. My point is that there is little use in trying to "fine tune" an extremely flat piano (defined as anything out over 10 cents). It would be better to re-tune a day later, if circumstances allow it. Avoid the "trap" of extreme pounding--it often leads to worse stability. Learn to tune in a manner that allows stability at an mezzo-piano sound level (reformed pounder here, realized I might be hitting too hard when a hammer assembly from an upright went whizzing by my face). Do the best you can, use all the techniques that folks have shared--and a day later the unisons, and octaves will already be "on the march". At 04:27 PM 8/1/2009 -0700, you wrote: >Greetings list, > >I just tuned a Samick JS-118 upright yesterday that hadn't been tuned >in 7 years (It had 1 tuning right after they bought it brand new and >that was it!). It was flat by about 73 cents below the break, and >about 45 cents flat above the break. Pretty consistent throughout. >All in all, it turned out very well after a pitch raise and then a >fine tune. > >My question to all of you... What do you use as your criteria for >charging extra for pitch raises? When is it a "pitch raise" to you? >This particular piano was pretty clear cut, but do you have a point of >no return? 20-25 cents? Less or more? > >I use a SAT IV along with some aural checks to back the machine up... >Regards, > >Rob McCall Regards, Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.P.T. Non calor sed umor est qui nobis incommodat mailto:pianotuna at yahoo.com http://us.geocities.com/drpt1948/ 3004 Grant Rd. REGINA, SK, S4S 5G7 306-539-0716
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