Teaching.

[Wimblees@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 1/9/01 2:47:48 AM Central Standard Time, drose@dlcwest.com 
writes:

<< My reason for placing hammer technique last is that it is the hardest to
 learn. It takes the most practise. And no one quite agrees with anyone else
 about *what* is happening. Further, what works on one piano may *not* work
 on another of the same make and model (and age). 
 
 My reason for placing basic tuning theory first is that without
 understanding what you are trying to do you are reduced to *guessing*. A
 simple example. If you tried to get to my house from yours you would need
 some idea of where I live first. On the other hand, if you were *already*
 at my house, you would have little difficulty finding your way to your own
 home.
 
 Hearing beats is essential if you wish to tune unisons, so it must come
 before unisons. >>


Don:

In relation to where you live, and hammer technique, I use this analogy. 
Knowing hammer technique is like knowing how to drive. You can tell me where 
you, and how to get there, but if I don't know how to drive, I don't have the 
means to get to your house. (or you can use the analogy of knowing how to 
walk).  

As far as hearing beats, the easiest way to hear beats is on a unison. 
Hearing beats between intervals is very difficult, especially when one 
doesn't know what a beat is. And, again, using what you said, every piano 
will produce different kinds of beats in an interval that will interfere with 
the beats you are trying to hear. Often times when I was teaching my wife to 
tune, she kept hearing what she referred too as "beats behind the beats." I 
though she was talking about false beats, but she knew what they were. She 
was hearing beat patterns created by other partials. Beats that I was 
ignoring, but she was hearing. And is some case, hearing louder than the 
beats she was supposed to hear. 

Willem