Greg: I float the pitch here, but it is always at least 440. In the winter, if a piano is below 440 I bring it up to 440. By spring or summer it's high. Leave it. I did one today that was at 443 (which is kind of my max, but there are exceptions) and I left it there knowing it will be back to 440 by November. This was in a piano-major practice room. Since most of our good pianists are European they feel right at home at 443. Why would someone care if a practice room piano is 442? dave *********** REPLY SEPARATOR *********** On 8/28/02 at 5:29 PM Greg Newell wrote: >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 _____________________________ David M. Porritt dporritt@mail.smu.edu Meadows School of the Arts Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX 75275 _____________________________
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