[pianotech] Octaves & Unions

Susan Kline skline at peak.org
Fri Feb 4 10:44:01 MST 2011


On 2/3/2011 11:31 PM, tnrwim at aol.com wrote:
> It could be that the middle string has slipped, so when you tune the 
> outside strings to the middle string, the whole note is out of tune 
> with the rest of the piano. 
This is a problem when doing touchups at intermission. Even if nothing 
is very far out, if enough strings have moved _just a little_ where do 
you put your patches?

If you pluck across the three strings, and two are in tune with each 
other and the third is flat, you can pull up the third, and then check 
an octave, and also check fifths and fourths up and down.

If all three are at different pitches, it gets harder. Still, the 
supposition is that the lowest string is out. One has to depend more and 
more on how an individual string fits with what's left of the tuning. 
Luckily even a rough player who likes to poke hard at the keys seldom 
makes such a hash of a tuning.

Then there's the question of whether whole sections have shifted, due to 
bright lights, or whatever. I suppose someone using an ETD has a 
decision to make at this point -- reset the machine? There's not time to 
retune the whole thing.

Susan
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