Colin, I agree with you 100%. I do think it is important to tune aurally but why not bring customers the best technology has to offer - a good set of ears, a basic skill in aural tuning and a good quality ETD. With my Verituner, I can graduate to different octave types smoothly as I go from one section of a piano to the next. Only an extremely seasoned aural tuner would be able to dunplicate this. I can also tune whatever historical temperament my customer may want. Yes, in the old days, you had to pay your dues, and I certainly respect tuners who do it 100% aurally, but it's just not necessary to be a 100% aural tuner these days when you have such marvelous ETDs that are doing amazing things they couldn't just a few years ago. I make this statement assuming the tuners who use an ETD also know how to tune aurally. I know that if I ever need to send my Verituner in for repair, I won't have to cancel appointments. How do others feel? Corte Swearingen ----- Original Message ----- From: "Colin Kenny" <kennys@kennyguitars.com> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Sunday, July 14, 2002 1:58 PM Subject: Re: Affleck Piano Tuning?(and Yamaha PT100/Verituner) > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <Walter216@AOL.COM> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > Sent: Saturday, July 13, 2002 3:35 PM > Subject: Re: Affleck Piano Tuning?(and Yamaha PT100/Verituner) > > > > > I'm fed up with the talentless toads who can't even tune unisons without > an > > ETD but won't try to learn aural tuning. An ETD should be a tool for the > > skilled aural tuner, not a crutch for the incompetent. At least bad > tunings > > can be easily repaired, unlike the bad rebuilding jobs we all run across. > > (Another subject altogether, guaranteed to get MY stress levels elevated.) > > > > I know there are supposed to be folks out there who can tune at CTE levels > > with an ETD but can't do an RPT level tuning without, but as a CTE, I > haven't > > tested one yet. The best ETD tunings I've seen in tests barely scraped by > at > > the 80% level and it usually took them 2 or more tries to make it. > > I'd like to bring some balance to this rant session. There are > technicians that can tune well above minimum CTE standards(i.e.%99-%100) > with an ETD, and can tune unisons aurally at a similar level(i.e.%100), but > can't > tune a temperament aurally that will pass. I'm one of them. This dichotomy > of "skilled aural tuner" versus "talentless toad" or "incompetent" is > useless at best. I work hard to be able to provide quality service in all > areas of this field, and whether or not I properly use modern technology to > get the > job done is of little consequence. The condition we leave the piano in is > what matters. I'm a little tired of older technicians beating their chests > about > this > subject. They HAD to learn it the hard way, and now many are just stubborn. > The fact that this small, but hard earned, part of their skills > has been partially eclipsed by technology is difficult to accept. I am > learning to tune a temperament aurally, and I enjoy it. It's a fascinating > procedure(also the last one that I need to be an RPT), but not > terribly important in my line of work. > > Sincerely, > Colin Kenny > Peru, IN > > > > > >
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC