Paul, Did I understand you pitch raise with the mutes in? Could you elaborate? Tanks, Roge On Sun, 1 Oct 2000 23:40:23 -0500 "Paul" <tunenbww@clear.lakes.com> writes: > Roger > Your technique sounds like mine. I've been working on eliminating a > lot of > the repetitive motion of mute changing, to increase my time on the > tuning > lever and keyboard. I've worked out systems for grands, verticals, > birdcage > actions, oversize capo bars, etc., in most of the pianos I > encounter. Floor > tunings were the incentive to pick up speed but hold the accuracy. > Have you > tried pitch raising with all your mutes in? You can do it under 10 > minutes > and come out with surprising accuracy, all done aurally. It goes for > pitch > lowering too! > > Paul Chick > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Roger C Hayden <rchayden2@juno.com> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > Sent: Saturday, September 30, 2000 10:50 AM > Subject: Re: Aural? (self-starters) muting techniques, etc. > > > > Muting techniques. > > > > Early in my career I got a job at a college doing a rank of > similar > > pianos in similar rooms of similar age with similar problems on > similar > > days. Grueling boredom!!! So I bought a stop watch and timed my > > operations, trying lots of variations, looking for high > efficiency, > > without sacrificing quality. Competition against myself!! And > > everything got interesting. > > A couple of work principles here: > > > > 1. I learned quickly that the motion connected with rubber mutes > was a > > great user of time. > > 2. A long job divided into several short ones keeps the psych > much > > happier. > > 3. Having more opportunity for feedback during the earlier parts > of > > tuning saves work later. > > 4. Deuteronomy 25:4 Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he > treadeth out > > the corn. > > Translation: I can play this tuning and test it at three > different > > points, enjoying my work, and checking my progress. Owners like > that > > too!! > > > > I doubt if these techniques are new, and it's a bit hard to put > into > > words, but here goes. > > > > For Grands I use four felt strip mutes. Starting with the triple > unisons > > I mute between every other note, (every six strings), from left to > right > > all the way to the top. When I get next to struts I mute before > the last > > unison, even if it's out of sequence. This will use two strips on > most > > grands. > > > > Next I start with the double unisons in the bass, calculating > quickly > > whether there are even or odd number of unisons. If even, mute > between > > the first two and every other from the bass up. If an odd number, > mute > > between the last single unison and the first double, then between > every > > other. > > > > When I've muted the doubles there will be felt left over, so I > start > > muting between the triple unisons that were not yet muted. (Every > six > > strings again) All the way to the top. With the unison on each > side of > > struts I stuff the mute between the strings in the unison itself, > leaving > > the single string next to the strut singing by itself. > > > > The whole idea is to strip mute so there remains only one string > singing > > for each note. (Except perhaps one note in the bass, the last > single > > string, and maybe one double in the tenor.) There are slight > variations > > in this from piano to piano. > > > > Then I set my A-440, lay the temperament either from A to A, or F > to F, > > tune down the single strings to the end of the tenor. Check my > > intervals, especially Major Thirds, check my harmonies, all major > chords > > inverted where necessary. Then I improvise and harmonize a little > to see > > if it 'talks back'. > > > > Next, its off to the treble, tuning only single strings for each > unison, > > checking some as I go, but not to the extreme. (I set the octave, > check > > it with the fifth and fourth, and move on.) > > > > Then single strings through the bass. Again, fifths and fourths > as long > > as its not muddy, then only fifths, then checking with fifths and > tenths, > > and at the last, checking with octaves, next fifth and tenth. > > > > Now its 'performance time'. I can play this piano, modulate > through all > > the keys, and if it's good it is soooo clear, these single > strings!! And > > far less probability for fighting false beats from lower octaves. > > > > Next, rip out the felt from the bass doubles, and tune their > unisons. > > Note this: > > > > TUNING PIN SEQUENCE. . . very important !! I start on the first > bass pin > > that needs tuning, the second string from the tenor strut to the > left. I > > tune that unison, THEN, noting the pattern of tuning pins before > me, I > > take the next pin that matches the first pin in the next pattern > of pins. > > In other words, NOT the next string to be tuned chromatically, > but the > > next pin to be tuned by WHOLE step. It will be in a STRAIGHT LINE > for > > the most part going down the bass. When I reach the last pin in > that > > straight line I drop to the reverse of the pattern and work back > up. YOU > > HAVE TO KEEP YOUR HEAD ABOUT YOU in this little trick, but it is > more > > efficient. > > > > Play again and check a little. > > > > Then rip out ONE set of strip mutes to the top, leaving the first > set in > > place. > > > > This frees two strings to sing in each unison. TUNING PIN > SEQUENCE: > > Starting at the first pin of the first triple unison available for > > tuning, it should be the left string. Tune it. Then by whole > step again > > to the NEXT PIN IN A STRAIGHT LINE, tune that pin and string. All > the > > way to the strut. You will be playing a whole tone scale on the > piano. > > At the strut, remember you had tuned the string next to the strut. > So > > don't detune it. tune the middle string here. > > > > Then it's back to the tenor, and tune the other set of whole steps > to the > > top. > > > > Play again and check a little. > > > > Checking: I like playing double octaves, starting on C in a major > > thirds, that is C, E, G#, C E G#, etc. then come back, start on > C#, > > major thirds up, then D, then D#. That hits all the notes, > and > > seems to keep the ear fresh for hearing bad octaves, and bad > unisons. > > > > Rip out the last set of felts and again tune sequentially in whole > steps > > the unisons. > > > > When tuning the unisons your hammer will move in a straight line, > not > > back and forth. You will know the pins needing tuning by watching > the > > tuning pin pattern, not the hammers and strings. > > > > I find listening to the whole tone scale as I tune much more > tolerable > > than crawling interminably to the top in half steps. Also, I have > > divided the job more reachable parts. > > > > which are as follows: > > > > A-440 > > Temperament: > > Octaves to top: > > Octaves to bottom: > > Bass unisons, down by whole steps and back up by whole steps: > > First Treble unison, to top by whole steps > > Second Treble unison . . to top > > Third treble unison > > Fourth Treble unison. > > > > The efficiency comes from: > > Rubber mutes get used in checking only. Decrease hand motion. > > Strip muting is done in 2 - 2 1/2 minutes, maybe less > > The hammer moves in a straight line > > The Psyche is messaged, not as strained > > The ear stays fresher by less chromatic scaling. . . > > You get to enjoy the results sooner and more frequently > > Errors are found before the whole job is done > > > > > > On Sat, 30 Sep 2000 00:1 > > > > > > 1:29 -0400 "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com> writes: > > > Would you care to enlighten us on your muting techniques? I am > always > > > looking for ways to be more efficient, save time, and leave more > > > solid > > > tunings! > > > > > > Terry Farrell > > > Piano Tuning & Service > > > Tampa, Florida > > > mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com > > > > > > > > ________________________________________________________________ > > YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! > > Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! > > Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: > > http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. > > > ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.
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