Stable Tuning was tuning time

[David Andersen]

Great post, Dale....my reponses:
>           Esteemed Listees
>           I have found the recent thread informative. I sometimes enjoy 
>being the contrarian and this is one of them. I think it's fine that tunings 
>can be done in such short times IF there is stability to accompany all that 
>rush and fury. 
>   I don't care if it takes 30 minutes or 2 hrs as long as the piano is 
>stable and sounds musical. Define stable. Any of you who follow your own 
>work 
>can attest to whether or not this is occurring but this is how I define it.
This is the truth.  Stability is the goal, not speed.  Are we slaves to 
the clock, or free humans?
>     In My opinion many tuners can hear pitch or see pitch but getting it 
>set 
>so it will last longer than a week is another.
Setting the pins is a HUGE part of the HUGE craft of piano tuning.
> I find the primary indicator 
>of instability to be the whiny unison syndrome. This condition is usually 
>the 
>indicator of not enough time or technique applied to pin setting and 
>settling 
>blows and NOT a recent shift in climate. 
Yes.  How many times have I tuned a piano in a store or studio 2-7 days 
after another tuner's work, and found the unisons sounding like cats in a 
bag? Too many to count. Slow down.
>    Even with modest temperature or humidity swings a truly stable tuning 
>will not readily show up whiny unisons. It will show up a temperament or 
>octave contraction or expansion but not enough usually to draw a call back 
>complaint. (90% of all call backs on a tuning are unison complaints).
>    In 1976 at Red Schoolhouse, Laroy Edwards and the Japanese instructors, 
>all stated that the practice of spending 1 1/2 hrs at the piano was the 
>customary and suggested length of time. Even if the tuning only takes 45 
>min. 
>improve the piano in other ways but spending less time makes the client 
>wonder what they are paying for especially if your there only 45 minutes or 
>less.  I get infrequent complaints on a tuner that only spends 30 minutes at 
>the piano. It intuitively didn't seem right to them. How many didn't 
>complain 
>but just didn't call him back again?
For me, a piano tuning takes from 1 to 1.5 hours.  That's it. Anything 
more than another 5 minutes, which means anything other than 
adjusting/lubing pedals, is charged for.  My advice:  DO NOT take the 
action out of a piano for free, unless you're estimating hundreds or 
thousands of dollars worth of work.   
>     I enjoyed David Loves business philosophy of an appointment covers an 1 
>1/2 hr time slot to do what's needed.
Again, tuning is tuning.  Everything else is more.
>      Obviously routinely tuned pianos will take less time to tune but 
>improvement in other areas can be made. I think this discussion of tuning 
>times is informative but not all that useful. Any improvement I ever made in 
>stability came with time spent working along side a mentor (Father and Dick 
>Hamlett) that could demonstrate really good hammer technique and practice.
Amen.
>      It is not my goal to insult any body and especially veterans  who know 
>the stability of your work, but speed isn't the factor that impresses techs. 
>or clients who can hear. Thoroughness does. 
Amen.
>         Even acknowledging that every one works at there own rhythm doesn't 
>change the work that 220 pins or so per piano require to be set solidly.
>    I'm also acknowledging that even the best tuners among us will get call 
>backs when D.Cs are not plugged in or serious swings in temp & humidity 
>occur 
>in a short time but I don't think we should use these things as common 
>excuses for lack of tuning stability because maybe not enough time was spent 
>on stabilizing the pins/pitch. Been there.
>   My last pet point is that if my speed is really good or the piano 
>stable I 
>can spend time raising the hammer blow, let-off etc.Voicing? uhhuh! I find 
>these items go ever so severely wanting when the crusade  to tune 4 or more 
>pianos a day is occurring. Ask me how I know.
Why do work for free?  Does your lawyer?  Your car mechanic?  Be generous 
and giving, but be professional.  Value your time, and your client base 
will get richer and more serious.
>           Regards and flame suit is on.
>           Dale Erwin
No flame suit necessary here.......thanks, Dale....
David Andersen