Test Blows

[Kevin E. Ramsey]

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    Cory,=20
   =20
    You might be trying too hard, my friend.  First of all, is this on a =
piano which you have determined only needs a one-pass tuning? In that =
case I would recommend doing test blows on each note before you make up =
your mind.=20
    My preferred technique ( Not patented, no royalties, etc.) is to =
give the piano two passes; every time. It's so easy to get it close on =
the first pass, and then to be just nudging pins on the second pass, =
knowing that the piano is already stabilized on the first pass.
    But the real reason I'm writing this is to note something that I =
have noticed lately. Say I pitch raise a piano, five cents or so, and =
when I'm done perhaps the piano, because of a stiff board-thick plate =
combination (either one or both) the piano ends up a couple cents sharp. =
I bang away while settling the pin, to get it back in tune, only to find =
later that it's creeped up in pitch again.=20

    I HATE IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS!
   =20
        What I think is happening, is that you can pound a note too =
hard. The blow from the hammer draws tension into the speaking length, =
and later the string equalizes in the waste end, drawing the pitch =
sharp.=20
   =20
    It's good to give a piano those test blows, nobody wants all those =
call-backs from notes that go out. Different pianos respond differently, =
we get used to them with experience. But I've always been a firm =
believer in hard blows, and now I'm thinking maybe you can go too far.
    I remember Jim Coleman Sr. commenting on this phenomena, and sure =
enough, now I'm starting to hear it.



  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: SimsPiano@AOL.COM=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Monday, February 25, 2002 11:48 AM
  Subject: Test Blows


  Hi,
  I've been taught to do a hard test blow on each string as I tune.   =
I've been=20
  wondering if the following might be a more efficient way to tune using =
a test=20
  blow.
  1) Tune the entire piano using no hard test blows, but working the =
hammer=20
  back and forth to try to take all torque out of the pin once the pitch =
is=20
  right.
  2) After the whole thing is tuned, go back and give each key a few =
hard test=20
  blows.
  3) Now touch up whatever went out.
  What I figured was that on trichords and bichords, you're only hitting =
one=20
  test blow per 2 or 3 strings instead of 1 per string, which means =
either 2 or=20
  3 times fewer test blows.
  By the way, I use a SAT and start A0 and go up the keyboard.
  Comments??
  Thanks,
  Corey
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