only aural tunings are good

[Leslie W Bartlett]

I've been musing over the report of the Chicago program comparing ETD's
and the end result, "Only an aural tuning can be trusted."   Our local
chapter had five technicians tune one  low octave, each tech in turn
taking the next higher note, so we had five chromatic steps tuned
"correctly", according to each tech.  When we simply played the octaves,
using no checks whatever, of five notes three different octaves were
clearly discernable, and I am quite sure there would have been five
different octaves if checks were used.

To say that only an aural tuning is "correct" is quite a "stretch" to say
the least.  I think it would be safer to say that given human
fallibility, no tuning of any kind is ever totally correct, and  because
a certain tuning doesn't fit one tuner's ideal is no indication that a
good tuning cannot still be had.

I'm a pretty ignorant newbie, and have been "over my head" an in ordinate
number of times, doing three duo piano recitals, two solo artist
recitals, numerous college recitals, and two tunings for a piano
competition. Recently I tuned for the leading local jazz artist/composer,
and have also tuned this year for a major  symphony, and recognized
artist.  In each case I asked the artists after they'd practiced, if the
tunings were acceptable, and in each instance the artists were pleased.
In one case after the artist, a real banger, had played three church
services, when I came to tune for his evening beating of the instrument,
he said,"Don't bother. It's a good tuning, and it has held stable."  
That having been said, I rely on an ETD heavily.  I rely on Robert
Scott's Tunelab Pro, and I mess with the program something terrible, yet
I get consistent referrals who say, "You come very highly recommended."

All that last BS is to suggest I have a leg to stand on when I accept
much of what a machine tells me, and I have artist experience to say
discriminating ears have found my "inaccurate tuning" quite acceptable. 
Of course I believe ED Foote says all concert pianists are deaf, in which
case there's no point in tuning at all................
les bartlett
houston

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