Accutuners

[PSLOANE@OCVAXA.CC.OBERLIN.EDU]

I think I may have inadvertently cast myself as the token skeptic  in the
use of the Accu-tuner. NOT! Please, all those that use and love their
Accu-tuners accept my apology if I have sent some sort of implication that
aural tuning is superior. As many of the participants in this E mail discussion
have contended (myself included), a good aural tuning and a good Accu-tuner
tuning with the appropriate aural adjustments are one in the same. What I
have heard from the proponents of the Accu-tuner -- and please correct me if
I am wrong -- is that it provides you with a vehicle to get more information
about tuning in general and a chance to escape some of the fatigue and
concentration drain associated with aural tuning. I, however, have chosen to
not use an Accu-tuner beacause I feel that I can get enough information to
make good choices about the piano I am tuning with appropiate checks. As far
as the fatique and concentration drain factors, they have diminished with the
gradual increas in my skills to the point where I don't feel a need to seek
some sort of remedy. And with pitch raises, I actually would be curious to
compare the end result of my aural pitch raises with those done with the use
of an Accu-tuner.

But I would once again like to emphasize that I know many excellent tuners
(have worked with them on administering tuning tests) that swear by their
Accu-tuners. I think that that alone is endorsement enough for the machine.

Ken Sloane, Oberlin