Notes 85-86-87-88

[Sy Zabrocki]

To All On List:

Today I tuned a piano which last tuned Jan. 11, 1971. No other tuner had =
tuned the piano either.  The piano was flat about 44 cents except for =
the last four keys which were slightly sharp. So after all this time how =
could the last few notes be sharp? Well they were sharp because I tuned =
them sharp 26 years ago. Why did I tune them sharp? I don't know but =
will try to explain. Here's the story.

In Feb. 1990 I purchased a new Accu-Tuner. After a few days I'm tuning =
up a storm with this precious little instrument. It's then I discovered =
an error in my tuning which was a complete surprise to me. The SAT was =
telling me I was tuning the last four notes, 85, 86, 87 and 88 sharp. It =
was not just a little sharp but as much as 30 to 40 cents sharp. If the =
SAT called for 35 cents at B7 I might tune aurally at 65 or 70 cents =
sharp. At that time I had about a dozen new pianos on my floor which I =
had tuned sharp at these last four notes. I just couldn't believe it, =
all were so consistent.

So now for months and even years I'm still finding these pianos around =
town that I tuned sharp. Then you wonder at what age did this condtion =
start. Do I have a hearing problem? Well I'm now 65 but don't have a =
hearing problem. I was age 59 when I bought the SAT. On Jan. 11, 1971 =
when I last tuned the piano described above I was age 39. Certainly I =
didn't have a hearing problem at that early age. I started tuning in =
1958 at age 27. How was I tuning these high notes in the begining. There =
is no way of knowing that far back but my instructor or nobody else ever =
brought it to my attention. I took the PTG test in 1964 but the test was =
not so stringent then. They didn't check us on the last highest notes.=20

So far I've been telling on myself. So how many other aural tuners are =
also tuning sharp. Well since 1990 I've found a few. I know of one tuner =
about age 44 who tunes sharp on these high notes, sometimes 25 to 30 =
cents sharp. I've been able to study him on two occasions. I've found a =
few pianos with sharp high notes but I didn't know who tuned them. I'm =
now wondering if tuning sharp on these notes is common.=20

Don't tuners who have a hearing problem tune flat. I've known a few who =
didn't hear these high notes at all. One tuner about 78 years old broke =
strings frequently and became totally frustrated.  Older people have =
told me while tuning that they don't even hear any sound up there. Maybe =
they hear the hammer rap only.=20

Now we have the tune-off between Virgil Smith tuning aurally and Jim =
Coleman tuning with a tuning aid. Few if any would question Virgil's =
tuning (but I would like to have a peek at the SAT readings on his =
octave seven.) I tuned aurally for 31 years and wouldn't dare offend =
anyone tuning aurally. But I do question if any can beat the SAT in =
octave seven. I can't.=20

Sy Zabrocki
only4zab@imt.net