Floating pitch -- & ear plugs

[Mark Cramer]

In leveling, seating and straightening of strings, I try to have the piano
(as I understand most of you do) at pitch. i.e.: settle the coils, re-tune
to A:440, seat at the bridge, re-tune to A:440, lift at the agraffes,
re-tune to A:440, etc.

The rational for this (I believe) is to have all the string segments bearing
or terminating their very best, when the piano is at pitch. And this is
where it gets a bit murky,.. or not.

I guess it depends on your mental image of what happens to the string
segments during a (climate-induced) pitch change. I see the  strings as
changing tension 'most' along the speaking length rather than at my
carefully straightened little segments at the capo, around the hitch-pins,
etc.

This comfortable delusion permits me to see things as returning pretty much
to normal, after permitting a minor "pitch float." Whereas lowering or
raising string tension, in reaction to (climactic) pitch change, presents
the picture of hauling string hand-over-fist, through every termination and
bearing point,... then, back again kinks and all, in the other direction a
few weeks later. It seems alot like running to the other side of the boat
with every wave. (Which presents another picture; summer is almost gone and
I haven't had the sailboat out once! :>(

In response to Greg, climate control has brought most of our instruments to
within a 4 or 5 cent window, which we can easily deal with. I think it is a
good idea though to consider what all is going on in the piano when climate
moves the pitch, other than just a change in string tension.

Mark Cramer,
Brandon University

      BTW, I hope you have all had a nice summer, and wish you well during
the fall season!

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-caut@ptg.org [mailto:owner-caut@ptg.org]On Behalf Of Greg
Newell
Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2002 4:30 PM
To: caut@ptg.org
Subject: Re: Floating pitch -- & ear plugs


Otto,
         First I want to make clear that I'm responding to the thread in
general and not just your post. I clearly understand why those who do,
float pitch. That having been said I would try all I could to not do it. I
can forsee a situation where someone knows the piano has "just been tuned"
and yet another instrumentalist who just happens to have good pitch memory
(Perfect Pitch) will remark to his or her group that the piano is flat.
perhaps even significantly. For those who do float pitch why is it that you
can't simply explain to whatever institution that the temperature and
humidity fluctuations are simply too great and that Dampp Chasers must be
installed to maintain anything resembling correct and stable pitch? Money
is always an issue but if we always give them a way out will they not
always take it? My two cents.

Greg Newell






At 02:57 PM 8/28/2002, you wrote:
>Several years ago I tuned for North Park College in Chicago.  We had a
bunch
>of Wurlitzer (Squirrelitzer) studios in the practice rooms of a building
>that kept the rain off.  The pitch went up & down like a yo-yo on a long
>string.  Initially, I spent many a day in those concrete cubicles,
>de-stabilizing those percussion, stringed instruments.  Aug. to Dec. could
>see a 40 cent pitch drop in certain areas of the scale.  While they were
>still cantankerous, floating the pitch a reasonable amount preserved my
>sanity (such as it is) and the departmental budget.
>
>On another note:
>It was in those bunkers that I learned to tune with ear plugs as well,
>though I did quit using them for several years after I left there, for fear
>that customers might mistrust a piano tuner with ear plugs.  In recent
years
>I have gone back to wearing them, educating my customers of the decibel
>levels I generate, & reminding them that one may be a visually-impaired
>tuner, but there is not a lot of call for deaf piano tuners.  I have found
I
>can concentrate better anyway, since it decreases the db level & cuts out
>much of the distracting backgound noise.  Some poorly scaled pianos will go
>muddy in some sections, particularly the upper treble, but you can always
>pop them out for the offending note(s) & back in again.  I always do a
final
>check, sans ear plugs, anyway.  Good customers understand the rationelle &
>are supportive.  Those who don't can always be referred to the sleazy
>"competition".  We make our living with our ears -- best preserve them as
>long as possible.
>
>Otto
>
>Piano Technician
>University of Idaho
>208-885-7918
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Vanderhoofven" <dkvander@joplin.com>
>To: <caut@ptg.org>
>Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2002 9:16 AM
>Subject: Floating pitch
>
>
> > Dear Friends,
> >
> > In past years I have attempted to tune pianos in the colleges I tune for
>to
> > A-440 each tuning.  This has caused me extra work (usually unpaid), and
> > mental stress.
> >
> > This year I have floated pitch on every piano I have tuned, and I feel
so
> > much happier!  No one has complained about the pianos being at A-442 or
> > A-443, and the pianos are behaving better.  When the temperature is 72
> > Fahrenheit, and the relative humidity is 83% indoors in the music
>building,
> > floating pitch is the only way to go.
> >
> > Thanks to Kent Swafford, I have finally seen the light!
> >
> > David Vanderhoofven
> > Joplin, MO
> >

Greg Newell
mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net