Three questions about tuning

[Wimblees@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 12/29/99 11:30:40 PM !!!First Boot!!!, Mjacobucci@cs.com 
writes:

<< Three questions:
 I've always wondered about this.  Sometimes when I am tuning a high quality 
 piano that has been neglected,  say hasn't been tuned in several years,  as 
I 
 start to raise the pitch,  the pins will almost seem to leap into the 
correct 
 position almost as if it knows where it is supposed to be (octaves and 
 unisons but mostly unisons).  This was true on a Steinway grand (old), a new 
 Yamaha baby grand, and also a Baldwin Baby grand (which was once one of 
 Liberace's favorite practice pianos - he even signed the plate).  Have 
others 
 also noticed this?  Is this something real or is it just my imagination.

It's partially your imagination, but it is also partly the instrument. What 
you are probably experiencing is the difference between actually hearing 
what's going on, and just perceiving what's going on. The better quality 
instruments are giving you more to listen to, and thus, it makes it easier 
for you to put the string where it supposed to be. 
 
 Related question as to pitch raising and what to tell the customer about 
 pricing.  When I come upon a neglected instrument (several years since being 
 tuned) I always attempt to warn the customer before hand (in fact mostly 
 during the intial phone call)  that it may need several tunings in order to 
 remain at pitch and in tune. One tuner in my area doesn't charge any more 
for 
 additional visits (I think he was burned too many times in the past) but I 
 don't think this is reasonable since it is the same amount of effort for the 
 repeat visits (why should the technican pay for other's neglect?).  However, 
 
 I usually come down in price a token amount for each repeat visit (and I 
tell 
 the customer ASAP usually during the phone call).  It usually doesn't even 
 matter to them and they have been just paying full price anyway.  Explaining 
 the necessity sometimes sounds a little squirrelly though. What is the most 
 honorable way to handle this?  

I explain to the customer what has happened, and why a pitch raise is needed. 
I explain why it costs more. If they agree, I do it and get paid. I they 
don't want to pay the extra money, I tune it where it is, and go on. I try 
not to make too big a deal out of it. After all, it is their instrument, and 
they have to live with whatever tuning is on the piano, not me. 
 
 Finally,  does anyone recommend a computer program which I can use for 
tuning 
 which will give me a graphic display on my laptop in order to tune perfect 
 unisons? A "sight-o-tuner"  with moving parallel lines or something like 
that?
  

Try the Reyburn program. 

Willem Blees