ears vs. eyes..kinda long-winded

[Richard Moody]

Hi  David I.

    I  am a die-hard aural tuner, not a die-hard tuning fork
tuner.  I just visited Jim again last week when in Phoenix for our
son's wedding.  When I called him up to invite myself over he said
something like "Sure, maybe I will make an ETD tuner out of you".
Jim has a humorous side.
    I was stuck with only a C fork but proved I could get A by
guessing the beats of the C4--A4 sixth.  According to his SAT III
he said nailed it. But I was lucky, I wouldn't want to do a best
out of three.
    I checked my favorite pitch source, a Korg quartz pocket tuner
against the SAT III and it came out close enough.  I like the
pocket tuner because it shows rather graphically deviations from
A440 to the client.  The  piano tuner listening to the tiny
Sheffield fork has always been a bit of mystery I think to the
client.
    Jim  evaluated my aural attempt from C3 to C5 to the RPT test
standards but I only came out with an 85.   I must say that
aurally a score like that is pretty darn close and would suffice
for any performance venue.  Not to sound like a weep but I might
have done better had I gone another octave in both directions as
that is the method I use when tuning the complete piano, the
octaves on either side of the "bearings" must prove the bearings.
But that is part of the allure of aural tuning, you can always do
better.  When the machine finally freezes, what more can you say?

---rm

----- Original Message -----
From: David Ilvedson <ilvey@sbcglobal.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, October 21, 2002 5:50 PM
Subject: RE: ears vs. eyes..kinda long-winded


> You know, Dave, you could call Jim Coleman up and take a little
drive to Arizona.  He'd be glad to set you straight...;-]
> Just kidding...I believe our own Richard Moody dropped in on Jim
and tuned for him some time ago.  As I remember it
> was a learning experience for a die-hard tuning fork tuner...not
that he changed?  Hey, Richard...what say you?
>
> David I.
>