only aural tunings are good

[Alan R. Barnard]

I can't imagine ANY tuning-by-committee being good. I don't mean the PTG
testing teams, here, I mean the idea that different techs would work on
different notes/sections of the same piano, as your post outlined--or that
different ETDs would be used this way. Whether by ear or ETD, the objective
has to be to hear and tune the WHOLE piano and TO ITSELF. I'll coin a term
here and call it an "Integral Tuning."

Alan Barnard
Listening in Salem, MO

----- Original Message -----
From: "Leslie W Bartlett" <lesbart1@juno.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, October 18, 2002 10:33 AM
Subject: only aural tunings are good


> 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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