Coleman vs Coleman Tuneoff

[Jim Coleman, Sr.]

HI Carl:

I liked your term "solving the puzzle".

I guess my main point was that even if one doesn't solve the puzzle 
perfectly, the piano can still sound quite nice (in this case it was
judged to sound better). I guess if I wanted any thing to change to a 
higher standard, it would be the unisons. This is more noticeable by
the audience than anything else.

Additional comments interspersed below. JWC

On Wed, 17 Feb 1999, Carl Root wrote:

> Before we relax our standards, we need to be clear about why some tuners
> have trouble passing the temperament section of the exam.  I suspect it
> is proceedure rather than technique.  They have simply failed to solve
> the puzzle and perhaps need to adopt a new sequence which will give them
> more information which will lock in more notes earlier.
> 
> This assumes that the task is approached with the intention of solving
> the puzzle rather than applying their own artistic temperament.  Yes,
> there are choices to be made that might favor fourths/fifths over thirds
> or vice versa, but if done properly, those choices fall within the
> current standards.  
> 
> Not long ago, it was common practice to impose one's will on the piano
> rather than solve the puzzle.  If a clearly unequal temperament is
> acceptable under lower standards, are we not in danger of returning to
> that attitude?

I would not propose adopting a Well temperament as a standard. I'm only 
concerned about gilding the lily with our present standards. I believe
that equal temperament or some reasonable approach thereto should remain
the goal in our testing program.

> 
> Then there's the subject of stretch.  Does the current exam allow for
> extremes?  Should it?

In that we have greater tolerances in the extreme range, this does make
allowance for moderate variation. In the case of the Octave 7, we do limit
the judgment to clean pure octaves to avoid the most extreme preferences.

Thanks for your comments, Carl        Jim Coleman, Sr.

> 
> Carl Root, RPT
> Rockville, MD
> 
> Sanderson/Coleman guinea pig, some twenty years ago.
> 
>