[pianotech] SAT IV extended

[David Love]

It's been written about a fair amount in an ongoing discussion about the
plusses and minuses of aural versus electronic tuning.  If you search the
archives you'll find more than you'll ever care to read.  I don't really
have an opinion on the RPT exam  because although the  ETD doesn't create a
"perfect" tuning neither does an aural tuning.  The issue really hit home a
few months ago when I got two calls on the same day from different customers
one telling me that they would only hire me if I tuned aurally and the other
only if I tuned electronically.  I skirted the issue by explaining that I
use both methods in conjunction with each other and ended up writing about
it on my website blog-yet unfinished.  I did get hired by both, btw.  One
can make the argument both ways, the ETD can correct mistakes in an aural
tuning just as much as aural methods can find problems with calculated
tuning curves.   There is one thing to note, however, the trade does have
blind tuners, I don't think there are any deaf ones.  

 

David Love

www.davidlovepianos.com

 

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of paul bruesch
Sent: Monday, December 28, 2009 5:14 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] SAT IV extended

 

David et al,

I've been following this thread with a great deal of interest. As a SAT3
user since beginning to learn this trade about six years ago, I've been a
bit mystified by how FAC can accurately determine a tuning. And since my
aural skills have gotten less bad, and I've begun to notice that it's NOT
creating a perfect tuning, I have been overruling what the SAT3 tells me to
do. 

I believe this is the first discussion that I recall seeing on this topic,
and in my mind it further cements the notion that a good tuner absolutely
MUST know what the machine is doing for him/her. It's a lot like learning to
do arithmetic on paper before resorting to using a calculator... but unlike
using a calculator, the ETD continues to require brainpower beyond knowing
which button to push.

Could I see a show of hands... who still thinks we should have an ETD-only
RPT exam? Anyone who is inclined to raise his hand should first go back and
read -- and understand!! -- the relevant posts on this thread.

Paul Bruesch
Stillwater, MN

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