[CAUT] electronic tuning device preference?

[rwest1 at unl.edu]

I think this discussion is a two-pronged one.  First there's John  
Minor's original question about the relative merits of the various  
ETD's.  I think John has gotten some good advice and guidance along  
those lines.  The second question is what is turning out to be the  
age-old, oft repeated question of competence.  As individuals we each  
set our own standards.  As such the range of acceptable work varies  
considerably and behooves each of us to be careful how we judge  
another person's work.  As an organization I think we have to not  
only uphold a standard, but constantly remind technicians of what is  
involved in quality tuning.  In this regard the important message  
that bears constant repetition is this: PAY ATTENTION.

None of us wants to leave a piano in worse condition than we found  
it.  But the fact is that if we don't pay attention, it isn't  
difficult to get sloppy and create out-of-tuneness when it may not  
have existed before.  The problem, then, is not ETD vs aural, or one  
brand of ETD vs another.  The problem is knowing how to achieve  
consistent results day to day, and knowing how to present consistent  
concert quality tunings in concert venues .  The only way to achieve  
such consistency is to pay attention to what we're doing.  That  
sounds trite, but I don't know how many times in my career when I've  
slid into complacency, and let my work suffer for it.  Then one day  
something comes along to wake me up and make me really listen to what  
I am doing and realize I could do better.  Sometimes it's a class.   
Sometimes it's a customer complaint.  Sometimes it's going back the  
next day for a touch-up tuning and finding out there's more to be  
done.  Whatever it is, we all need to be reminded of what constitutes  
competent work.  And we need to keep a certain edge that guarantees  
that our work is good.  In short, we need to pay attention

What mitigates against keeping that edge is often a self-satisfied  
attitude, a smugness that keeps us from really paying attention.   
It's the kind of smugness that says, "I tune with fourths and fifths,  
but I've never really understood thirds."  Or "My customers like my  
electronic tunings so I've never learned aural checks." Or "I never  
work on concert grands, so my tunings are good enough."  Or "I'm the  
best tuner in town, so don't tell me how to tune."  The fact is our  
work will humble us if we're not careful.  If we don't pay  
attention.  And paying attention involves not only having reasonable  
knowledge and skill, but being open to the fact that we could learn  
more, that we could do better and that being in tune and being out of  
tune isn't far apart.

If this discussion pulls people out of a bubble of self-satisfaction  
and smugness and makes people reevaluate their work and try new  
things, it's a valuable discussion.  This is just what PTG is all  
about.   At the same time we have to guard against one-up-manship and  
a holier than thou attitude.  That's where the humble part comes in.

Richard West