Pitch Raise Sequence

[Brian Trout]

FWIW,

I don't get real excited about most of the top octave moving about on me.
The parts of the piano that change pitch the most during a pitch raise (very
generally speaking) are the strings that rest on the most flexible, most
moving parts of the soundboard.  The board doesn't move a whole lot up there
in that top octave in comparison with the middle of the keyboard.  It
doesn't usually move very dramatically in the low bass either.

If the piano is really that far off, like a whole step, or more, I don't
usually plan on getting it that close in one pass.  I start with seeing
where it is, overall, and doing an extremely fast aural tuning, raising A4 a
few beats above 440, (how much depends on some variables.)  Tune the (quick)
temperament between C3 and C4, and head on up through the treble quickly
tuning fair sounding fifths and beating octaves, up until about the last
octave which I tune by pretty standard octaves.  Then normal octaves down
through the bass.  All of this happens in just a few minutes, 10 or 15,
maybe.  To me, it's not worth getting out the ETD for this part.  Takes too
long.

Once I get it to this point, I get out the laptop and go at it.  Usually,
one more pass quickly, and one more (sometimes partial pass) a little more
thoroughly will get it pretty good.  (I can certainly do it all aurally,
too.  We're not putting in heart valves here, folks.)

We as tuner types tend to get kind of 'up tight' about A440, at pitch
pianos that started a LONG way from there.  Even with the best of efforts, a
full step pitch raise won't be as stable as a piano that's been tuned at
A440 every 3 months for the last 10 years.  Our best efforts are certainly
an improvement, but an example I sometimes use (mostly for people who work
on their cars) is this.  If you have your oil changed every 2000 miles, and
you pull the dipstick a few miles after an oil change, it'll probably be
very clean.  If you drive your car for 60,000 miles and never change your
oil, then change it once and after just a very few miles, pull the dipstick,
even your new oil will not be nearly as clean as the oil in the other guys
car that changed his faithfully every 2000 miles, in fact it'll probably be
pretty dirty.  Just like in changing the oil, a tuning now is certainly in
order, and will indeed help.  But today's tuning won't undo 10 years of
neglect in a two hour service call.  We'll go from here with a plan for
regular service, and over the next several tunings, the piano will become
more stable and more likely to stay closer to pitch.

That's all.  I refuse to intimidate a customer by telling them how terrible
they are for neglecting their piano.  (They might have just gotten it.)
Almost all will ask when they should have it tuned again, regardless of how
long it's been since the last tuning.  I recommend they have it tuned a
minimum of once a year, more often if they are able.  (Some are not able.)
If they can, I especially recommend that if it's been a major pitch
adjustment, that they not wait more than a few months if they can manage it.
But it's up to them.  No lectures, no sermons.  I'll call them to remind
them if they want me to.

In other words, relax.  Enjoy the ride.  After a 200 cent pitch raise, the
average customer will be ecstatic with your tuning, even if it did sag a bit
someplace.

Best wishes,

Brian Trout
Quarryville, PA
btrout@desupernet.net



----- Original Message -----
From: Ron Nossaman <RNossaman@KSCABLE.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2000 9:08 AM
Subject: Re: Pitch Raise Sequence


> >      Yes, I think so.  But how much?  I dunno.   I was not sticking to
> >proven numbers, just general directions.  Bringing up a piano 25 cents
from
> >the middle or bottom will drop the top end, but I haven't seen the very
top
> >be too sensitive to the change.  I will admit to not measuring, so this
will
> >wait till my next major pitch raise, (which means, my next new
customer...)
> >   I will tune the C88 dead on before I do anything, and see where it
goes
> >during the raise.
> >Thanks,
> >Ed
>
> Excellent! It's about time someone did this. It's my impression too, that
> the high end doesn't drop much during the pitch raise, but then I never
> measured it either. I'm curious to hear what you find.
>
> Ron N
>