I find my speed increases incrementally, but steadily. I have now tuned about 800 pianos. I find that I commonly spend about 70 to 90 minutes tuning a piano that is within 4 cents of pitch. But it varies. Last night I tuned a awful S&S B at a church and a 15 cent pitch raise and a tuning took me 2-1/2 hours. Every string was like pulling a tooth. It was a bad piano. Lots of noise. Then this morning I set two new records for me. A newish Kawai console, 20 cent pitch raise in 29 minutes and a 51 minute tuning that I was real happy with. So just when you think that you will never be able to tune faster/better, progress occurs, albeit in tiny steps! Terry Farrell Piano Tuning & Service Tampa, Florida mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul" <tunenbww@clear.lakes.com> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2001 8:45 AM Subject: Re: tuning timing > Charles > I don't know what muting technique you or the others who responded to you > use, but I discovered that I can tune better-more efficiently and > proficiently when I mute the whole piano, tune the center strings, pull the > mute and tune the rest of the unison(s). I've developed this process into > using two strip mutes for treble unisons, but that gets into another area. > What I learned was that the piano "quieted down." Fewer strings speaking > made fewer sounds. This makes it easier for me to hear the string(s) I am > tuning. What I've also learned is that the piano must be close to the > desired/required pitch BEFORE any tuning can be done. So, if any pitch > raising of any amount needs to be done, DO IT! And while pitch raising, As > Jim Coleman SR. has stated, don't tune; you want the tension right. It's > down and dirty. Then tune. The whole process has speeded up my tuning > considerably. Several passes ARE faster than one slow, methodical run.Three > passes is very common for my tunings; and it usually takes me less than an > hour to produce a quality tuning. Keep practicing hammer technique. Listen > carefully how far your pitch changes (if any) after you've removed your > tuning lever. Compensate that drift with over or under pull. Several steady > forte blows should give you a set string and tuning pin. Hang in there. It > will come eventually! > > Paul Chick > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Charles Neuman <cneuman@phy.duke.edu> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > Sent: Monday, January 22, 2001 9:42 AM > Subject: tuning timing > > > > I'm curious how long it takes you all to complete each part of the tuning > > process. I'm not as concerned with the overal time as with the proportion > > of time spent on each section. For example, setting the temperament, > > midrange, high treble, and bass. > > > > The high treble seems to eat up a lot of time. The unisons are harder for > > me there since the beats are more sensitive to hammer movement. By the > > time I get to the last octave, I'm ready to scream, and the notes start to > > sound like a metal spoon hitting a frypan. Perhaps a nice grand would have > > nicer sounding notes up there. It seems like a drag to spend so much time > > on notes that will rarely be played. > > > > Charles Neuman > > Plainview, NY > > > > > > > >
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