Hi, Duaine: If you wanted to learn to tune aurally, there are plenty of people here that would help. There's a "method to the madness", and you could learn it, no problem. No need to take the RPT test if you don't want to. If you're not able to hear the beats despite someone showing you how to find them, it's not a big deal. You just won't be able to tune by that method. But, I bet I could show you how to hear the beats. And, if you can hear them, the next thing is to try to judge how fast they are beating. Not like counting them per second or anything. Just kind of get a feeling for whether one beating speed is faster than another. Once you get there, there is no reason whatsoever you couldn't learn the rest of it. Yeah, it takes some time and effort to learn to do. And, since you're already making money, there's nothing imperative about it. It's your choice. My point is, I'll bet you COULD do it. If you can tune unisons and do octaves, you can hear beats. I wish there wasn't all this vitriol about this subject. Whether you want to be an RPT or not, or whether aural tuning is better, who cares? If you don't want or are unable to pass the RPT test, the world isn't going to change. You're still going to be able to tune and run your business. But, if you would like to learn the process and were open to the idea, you are perfectly capable of doing it. That's really my point. Best to you. Paul McCloud San Diego ----- Original Message ----- From: "Duaine Hechler" <dahechler at att.net> To: pianotech at ptg.org Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2012 6:59:57 PM Subject: Re: [pianotech] ETD tuning Vs Aural- Some Wisdom On 05/27/2012 02:04 PM, Gary wrote: > To begin, let me mention that I use an ETD. I was an aural tuner for 27years before incorporating an electronic > devise into my arsenal. > This past Thursday, there was a bit of communication breakdown between a client and I, regarding what time we actually > made the appointment for. > Suffice it to say, that appointment wasn't kept. However, we did reschedule it for Sat morning. As I was ready to > leave that morning, I reached for my IPAQ > on it's cradle, and was horrified to note that the charge light was not on, meaning, well..it wasn't charged. So, > what was I to do? Call the lady and explain that > my tuning device wasn't charged, therefore I couldn't tune her piano? What, and really look like a fool then? No > way; I just went and tuned it like I did back in the old days. > So, there is some worth in knowing.. > gary > > > > On 5/27/2012 6:22 AM, Al Guecia/Allied PianoCraft wrote: >> ON the money! Well said. >> >> Al - >> High Point, NC >> >> >> >> On May 26, 2012, at 1:39 PM, Paul McCloud wrote: >> >> Hi, All: >> This discussion about whether to learn aural tuning techniques or not reminds me of something my Guru said to me, >> "Machines are for experts. Not for neophytes." >> When learning any craft such as ours, starting from the basics gives one a foundation to build upon. If you want to >> be an expert carpenter or cabinetmaker, you learn to use the hand tools first. I went to L.A. Trade Tech college >> when I was 19. We had to make our first projects with only hand tools, no power. We had to learn to use chisels and >> hand saws first before we were allowed to use the machinery. This is how one learns to master the craft. If one >> wanted to be a mathematician, does anyone think it's not necessary to learn the times tables? Sadly, there are some >> schools that de-emphasize learning times tables. We have computers and calculators after all. Why learn spelling? >> This is also not taught properly, as one can see in so many publications and online. We have spell checkers after >> all. If you call yourself a writer, would you learn to spell? Hey, it's not necessary now that we have >> spellcheckers. U no wat i meen? >> My mother was an audiologist. She had earned her degree in Speech and Hearing, and had her own business. Most of >> that business consisted of fitting hearing aids. She would often complain that there were hearing aid fitters that >> did only that, but didn't know anything about hearing, or the anatomy, or anything of pathology. They were >> competitors of my mother. But, if a doctor had a patient with a hearing problem, he wasn't going to send them to a >> hearing aid fitter. My mother would get that referral because she knew more and was an expert in the field. >> The argument over whether one needs to learn aural tuning will never be resolved. But, if one wants to be an expert >> in any field, one has to learn it from the beginning. If you don't learn the basics, you can't call yourself an >> expert. If you don't care to be an expert, that's up to you. But you'll never be known as one. >> >> My take. >> Paul McCloud >> San Diego OK, I'll bit.... so what happens when a person can't, for what ever reason, learn the aural tuning skills (enough to do a full tuning) - not tune at all. B. S. - that is way - at least, one reason - the ETD's were developed. So, not to get flamed too bad - I still tune unisons by ear and, at the end, I do octave tests by ear. As the British would say - "put that in your pipe (pronounced peep) at smoke it" -- Duaine Hechler Piano, Player Piano, Pump Organ Tuning, Servicing& Rebuilding Reed Organ Society Member Florissant, MO 63034 (314) 838-5587 dahechler at att.net www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com -- Home& Business user of Linux - 11 years
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