[pianotech] Pitch raise criteria

[William Truitt]

I've tried to follow most of this long thread, and maybe I have missed
someone already saying the following.  Doing a first pass has another
advantage beyond correcting pitch and thus promoting a more stable tuning
after the fine tuning pass. When we tune each piano we come to, we are
"learning" how to manipulate the tuning pins.  Going through the piano as
fast as possible for the pitch raise allows to quickly develop a feel for
that block, and we rapidly get very efficient in our movement of the tuning
pins and the use of our hearing as well. Very little wasted movement and
precision in listening as well.  I find that when I get to the fine tuning,
I am much faster and more accurate at dropping the pin exactly where I want
it, and it is stable as well.

The hardest thing for neophyte tuners to understand is that working quickly
is often more accurate.  Rather than hurried and sloppy work, it is rather
the efficiency and accuracy of a mature craftsman doing his or her job well.

Will

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Porritt, David
Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2009 7:07 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Pitch raise criteria

Dave:

The thing I don't like about the A0 - C8 approach is that you have to have
total faith in your ETD.  You can't start checking intervals and their
relationship until you're nearly half way through your tuning.  If you don't
like some of the relationships at that point you either just leave it as is,
or go back and correct and do over what you've already done.

I start at F3 and go up through the temperament to A4 checking intervals and
make sure it's as I want it before finishing out the piano.  I also do
unisons as I go to check unisons.  I really do trust TuneLab like I trust my
banker but I still count my change.

dp


David M. Porritt, RPT
dporritt at smu.edu


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of David Stocker
Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2009 3:14 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Pitch raise criteria

Several years before I made the jump to using an ETD, I sat in a class 
taught by Dr. Sanderson (inventor of the SAT). He had conducted a study to 
see which tuning order produced the most stable tunings. The answer was to 
start at A0 and tune unisons as you go all the way to C8. That was one of 
the reasons I went to an ETD.

Some are worried such a procedure will cause the plate to crack from uneven 
stress. Plates are so over-engineered I doubt it could make any difference.

Dave Stocker, RPT
Tumwater, WA

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Rob McCall" <rob at mccallpiano.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 01, 2009 22:47
To: "David Ilvedson" <ilvey at sbcglobal.net>; <pianotech at ptg.org>
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Pitch raise criteria

> 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...
>
>