Dear Wayne, I tune with an old version of an ETD (Peterson 490ST) and what I say is always, Always! tune from the middle out each way and augment what your tuner suggests (think of it as a suggestion) with what you hear. I overlap the middle octave going up to make sure that everything is unified. This may mean stretching a little more, or less, and a lot more key-punching. Tuners are great devices to use on those nasty little pianos whose fundamental notes are lost in the harmonics (base) and whose treble is too short to tune by ear. But, they don't hear what you hear. Check your octaves and intervals as you go. Except as reported about the Verituner, they, ETDs, don't necessarily harmonize the overtones (usually filtered out by the electronics). You have to do that by ear. ETDs can keep you honest though. I've followed a cranky aural tuner who claimed to tune ET but obviously didn't, can't identify the temperament with any known well-temperament either ;-) . Clients who called me in because they were unsatisfied with that tuning, liked what I did and no longer look down their noses at ETDs. It should be pointed out that if you can't tune aurally you won't be able to tune any better then a client with an ETD and a lot of patience (likely you will be called in to fix their broken strings anyway). I've also encountered an aural tuning where the tuner cancelled out a false beat on one note and then perpetuated the near 1/4 tone sharp up by octave through the treble until he couldn't hear to tune anymore (usually about 1.5 octaves on top). Aural tuners: check those intervals too, play chromatic interval scales of thirds, fourths and fifths and you will catch that kind of mistake before it becomes your signature. For those clients who think you should be quick and cheap, an ETD is a great tool to keep you organized and consistent. Even tuners have bad days. My ha-penny's worth, Andrew At 07:33 AM 11/7/2003 -0800, you wrote: >In the end > > even the most sophisticated tuning device is totally reliant on whatever > > definition for a tuning lies within its programing. That in itself puts a >cold > > edge on the result, and removes said tunings several steps from the world >of > > the artist. > > > > >I'm really glad to read this. I've had this come up in discussions numerous >times but because tuning, in my humble opinion, is an art it's hard to give >a solid explanation of what the outcome of the artistic practice really is. >Does that make sense? > >I'm a relatively new tuner. I've tuned about 500 pianos using an Accutuner >and 99 44/100's percent of my customers like my tunings but I don't. I've >been through a number of classes on aural tuning but I still can't put my >finger on why I think my tunings don't sound like I think they should. > >Instructors have used phrases like "the piano will talk to you and tell you >what it wants". I keep saying, "it's not talking yet", and I get frustrated. > >I know there are probably techniques in using the Accutuner that I am not >fully aware of yet that would make the tunings better. > > >From my experience explaining my perceptions about the sound of my tunings, >and my dislike for them, can be difficult for others to understand. > >Does this make sense? My tunings don't seem to be "smooth, creamy, delicate >(they have a cold edge)". I've heard concert tunings at Sacramento State >College, done by our former guild president Peter Clark, and they are >wonderful. They sound smooth, creamy and delicate. > >I've come to the conclusion that aural tuning is the only way to get those >results. It's not just setting the temperament aurally but tuning from the >center of the keyboard to the treble and then doing the bass, as many of the >books and instructors teach. After setting the FAC or selecting a factory >FAC I've been tuning from A0 to C88. I don't think the sound is the same. > >The reason for my conclusion: A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of tuning a >Yamaha C5 in a huge home, in an open, empty room with very high ceilings. >The customer was an acquaintance of mine so we were candid about the tuning. >I asked him how he liked it...his comment was "it grates on me". I thanked >him and then said, "me too". > >Remember, I'm not a total aural tuner. > >I told him I know of another way to tune the piano so I set my temperament >with the accutuner and then tuned octaves to the treble and then the bass. >I'd only done this once before. He said he liked it. I liked it too even >though it wasn't perfect. I spent 7 hours at the piano, no, breaks, not >lunch, no potty. > >I thanked him for the opportunity to tune his piano and said " its been a >pleasure to work on this piano and learning experience. I can't take any >money for that. Many new tuners would give their eye teeth to work on a >piano like this". ..And I left. > >He sent my a very nice thank you card...with a nice check...and expects to >see me again in 6 months. I'm scared! > >I'm taking a whole week off in November to practice my aural tuning. I hear >things better now than when I first started but I really need to solidify my >conceptual knowledge of aural tuning. > >Sorry to be so long winded...bad habit my wife says... > > >Anyone understand what I mean? > >Please be gentle... > > >Wayne Lutzow >Lincoln, CA >Sacramento Valley PTG > > > > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ >pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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