never say never..kinda long

David Ilvedson ilvey@jps.net
Sun, 25 Mar 2001 13:38:55 -0800


Carl,

I still say your best statement of protest would be to pass the RPT tests
then re-nounce your RPT status.  

David I.


*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 3/25/01 at 12:41 PM Carl Meyer wrote:

>Well David, your kinda wrong again.  I'm a folk that can't use a tuning
>folk.  On the farm,  I used pitch folks, manure folks, ensilage folks and
I
>graduated from using a kitchen knife to eat peas to using a folk.  If
there
>is a tine missing tho, the dumb peas fall thru.
>
>I don't however make a living using an etd.
>Not that I couldn't if I was bent that way, but I choose to concentrate on
>other things
>
>After having a lot of my earnings confiscated by our socialistic
>government,
>if I behave myself, they give some of it back to me in the form of
>antisocial insecurity.
>
>I've been a member since before the sight-o-tuner came out.  I remember
the
>strobotuner.  I can still hear and see the kicking and screaming when
etd's
>got started.  I still hear muffled grunts, groans and sighs, but they are
>slowly diminishing.  No one likes a change except a wet baby.
>There will always be those that think rules are more important than
>results.
>
>I rented my 7 ft Hardman a couple of weeks ago and I tuned it for a
>concert.
>Does that make me a concert tuner?  I used the accutuner.  No complaints.
>
>One thing I hope everyone has noticed.  I never speak disparagingly about
>those among us who are fine tuners but have to think twice before using a
>screwdriver to decide which end to use.  I do question their title of
>technician rather than tooner.  You see, I have nothing but admiration for
>anyone that can do a good job of tuning, listening to beats for 40 years
>and
>not ending up at the funny farm.
>
>Don't get me wrong.  My anger long ago turned to amusement.  I kinda enjoy
>my status as the Rodney Dangerfield of the PTG.
>
>Now, I think I'll have a bottle of imported beer.  Cheers!!!!
>
>Carl Meyer
>
>
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>
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>
>
>
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>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "David Ilvedson" <ilvey@jps.net>
>To: "pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
>Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2001 8:49 AM
>Subject: Re: never say never..kinda long
>
>
>> Go Phil!  I've been kinda wrong before...;-]  Of course we won't be
>hearing
>> from all the folks who can't tune with a tuning fork and make a living
>> tuning with a ETD will we...
>>
>> David I.
>>
>>
>> *********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
>>
>> On 3/25/01 at 8:56 AM Phil Bondi wrote:
>>
>> >David Ilvedson wrote:
>> >>
>> >  If you get the ETD first you will never learn to tune without it no
>> >> matter what people say about EDTs being great teaching devices.
>> >
>> >..I'm late on this thread, but this comment caught my eye..
>> >
>> >David...you're kinda wrong..and hopefully, _I_ will prove you wrong
this
>> >Summer when I take the Tuning Exam in Reno.
>> >
>> >breif history about myself:
>> >
>> >started working with a dealership in 1997 after 1.5 years of
>bi-monthly(?)
>> >trips to Atlanta to work and study with Larry Crabb. In Feb. of '97,
>Larry
>> >thought I was 'ready' to start earning money in the field..I inquired
to
>a
>> >local dealership about doing some work for them, and it just so happens
>> >that
>> >they were looking for a new tech..I was hired on the spot and given a
>> bunch
>> >of work right away, both on the floor and in customer's homes.
>> >
>> >Baptism Under Fire.
>> >
>> >..and I felt that my aural skills were no where ready to be
>'scrutinized'.
>> >Of course my feelings were correct, so I purchased a SATll to make my
>work
>> >more 'credible'. It was a great purchase at the time. Some customers
had
>> >seen this device before and were not satisfied with the results. I
>assured
>> >them that this is a great tool to do our job, and would welcome any
>> >criticism once I was finished tuning...never had one complaint.
>> >
>> >..in the meantime, working for this dealership, I would practice my
>aural
>> >skills while doing floor tunings. The SAT was my tutor, since my visits
>to
>> >Atlanta were coming to a halt, not because of my wealth of knowledge,
>but
>> >because my business was starting to take off and I felt I needed to be
>> here
>> >to answer the phone.
>> >
>> >As I was getting more confidence in hearing those s l o w beating 5ths,
>I
>> >was starting to tune aurally on selected pianos out in the field..ones
>> that
>> >I felt I could hear what I needed to hear and not feel scrutinized by
>the
>> >customer. Spinets were a welcome sight, since most of my customers that
>> >have
>> >spinets are not going to be critical of my work..more like grateful
that
>> it
>> >sounds better!..but..spinets were harder for this green roo(k) to hear
>> >those
>> >5ths and 4ths than some of the Grands that I chose to tune aurally....i
>> was
>> >feeling some frustration because i felt I had hit a wall in my learning
>> >process..i probably did..
>> >
>> >and then one day..while tuning on the dealer floor, i nailed a
>temperament
>> >on the 1st try...this was a big confidence boost..i listened and played
>> and
>> >re-played those 4ths, 5ths, 3rd's and 6th's till it was ad nauseum..but
>I
>> >needed to implant that sound in my remaining brain cell to be able to
>> >confidently open a spinet or lift the lid on a 9'er to tune aurally.
>> >
>> >The SATll sits in my tool box and is removed now for pitch raises,
noisy
>> >enviroments, and unfamiliar Concert Venues (that doesn't happen too
>> often).
>> >
>> >Am I the exception rather than the rule?..probably..I've been accused
of
>> >worse.
>> >
>> >David, if you're in Reno this summer, hopefully I will be able to say
to
>> >you
>> >that 'never' is not a good word to use. Let me say this publicly..I am
>> >finally prepared to 'fail' the test..which means that if I had taken
the
>> >tuning test 2 years ago in Providence, I would have failed miserably
>> >because
>> >I would have been unprepared to fail..I would have been clinging to the
>> SAT
>> >for alot longer than I have if I had taken that test back then..my
>> >confidence in my aural tunings has improved immeasurably since then. I
>> have
>> >learned how to let the piano tell me how it wants to sound..still
>learning
>> >'how', but I think I can tune aurally fairly well, with an accurate
>> stretch
>> >both ways, and have the instrument be musical to the player..and I do
>mean
>> >'player'.
>> >
>> >Confident, never cocky,
>> >roo(k)
>>
>>
>>
>>





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