[pianotech] shorter final tuning time with pitch raises; forearm smash

[David Love]

When I was learning to tune the notion was to tune it "dead".  Meaning that
when the unison is spot on you can immediately hear the note close up almost
right from the attack.  You don't need to hear the entire development of the
roll to know that it will or won't develop.  The same thing is true of a
fifth, for example, you don't need to wait five seconds to know whether
there will be three beats.  With practice and a developed awareness you can
tell almost immediately how fast that roll will be.  It takes practice
though and attention to what you are anticipating not just what is
happening, just like with pitch change associated with the feel of pin
movement in the block that I mentioned in an earlier post.  

Think of it this way, the best tennis players don't need to actually see the
serve coming at them at 150 mph to know where it's going, they can
anticipate from the body position and movement of the server and so can
begin to react before the ball is actually on its way.  And that's what they
do.  It's a learned skill coming from countless hours of practice and
feedback.  The same is true in tuning a piano.  You (hopefully) learn to
anticipate the outcome from other feedback that you are getting.  It takes
countless hours of practice but moreover a focus on developing an awareness
of those other inputs.  That's what peak performance is all about.  

David Love
www.davidlovepianos.com


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Ron Nossaman
Sent: Friday, November 05, 2010 8:34 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] shorter final tuning time with pitch raises;
forearm smash

On 11/5/2010 3:52 AM, David Nereson wrote:
> I wanted to say the same thing. "Slow rolls" don't happen in a
> half-second, but are often noticeable by the customer.
> --David Nereson

I don't recall forbidding you to listen past a half second. I said most 
everything you need is within the first half second of the attack. And 
yes, you can hear a 3+ second beat begin to diverge in that time frame. 
If you were to try it, you might discover that. You were asking about 
ways to lower your tuning time. I've given you one I have found by my 
own experience and that of others, to work very well. You can try it and 
learn for yourself what it has to offer you, or not. Arguing against it 
without trying it (which, unlike a new hammer, won't cost you anything) 
won't teach you anything at all.

Take it or leave it.
Ron N