etd's and ears

[John Formsma]

I thought we just finished beating this horse.  Naaaayyy! it's still alive!
<G>

Ric B's wrote some really good stuff. We are definitely talking about levels
beyond the basics of tuning.

Press PLAY:

"Personally, I feel more in control of things when I'm tuning aurally.
(Mainly because it makes me listen to all of the piano, and not mainly at
the unison level. Say, if there's an error with the dbl octave that can be
traced back to the temperament with a fifth that narrowed as you tuned
upward. Then you can correct it and move on.) With an ETD, I get so
incredibly lazy it's not funny...and my brain/ears starts losing pitch
sensitivity.

But, today's ETDs will definitely give a more than acceptable tuning. So,
nearly everyone will be happy."

STOP, REWIND...OK, I'm ready for the next go-round when it comes up. <g>

I do, however, believe that all piano tuners should make every effort
improve their listening skills. It's a great feeling to be able to ride the
wave of an octave and say, "Ahh...that's good" and to know that you know
what you're talking about

JF


On 2/14/07, Farrell <mfarrel2 at tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
>
>  You get no arguement from me. I'm with you 100% on all counts.
>
> Terry Farrell
> Luvin' my Verituner
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> Now being in hearing aids, I think more and more about the values of ETD's
> yet hear the ramblings about all their limitations, and the power of the
> aural tuner.  What puzzles me is this.  Two tune-offs at two national
> conventions with Virgil Smith and Jim Coleman proved pretty well that "a
> good tuner is a good tuner whether he uses an ETD or tunes aurally".  I
> think it was Mr. Coleman who said, "The closer in value of the piano to
> $100,000, the better the machine tuning."  Well my strict reliance on an ETD
> has been adequate for two symphony orchestras, Vienna Boy's choir, numerous
> other concert venues and several recordings,  my aural tuning considered ,
> as well, "completely fine" in another of the major halls in this city when I
> had to wing it because of a time crunch.   It has long seemed to me as I
> have followed aural tuner after aural tuner with really messy top and bottom
> octaves that the ETD wins hands down over the "average aural tuner".  Yet
> there is still an aura of the ETD tuner as somehow inferior.   Every tuning
> is a compromise at many points along the way, and my experience has
> indicated that aural tuners are very often entirely too proud of their
> product, thei " compromises"  being far far from reasonable or accurate.
> As the tuning public grows more and more grey, hearing issues are going to
> become more serious, and  I can pretty much tell on first pass if the tuner
> before has been aural, and generally know if he or she is suffering from
> some kind of hearing limitation..
>
> I can't be considered a total schlock as I passed my tuning test above CTE
> requirements in all but one area strictly aurally. So, I've paid my dues.
> But I don't tune aurally unless I can't avoid it these days, and private
> clients, academicians, concert and recording artists have all complimented
> my pretty much strict machine tunings (yes I do listen carefully afterwards
> as I check things for smoothness without the program running).  On junk,
> where no tuner can hear amidst the false beats, I again think the machine
> wins, because it gives consistency and at least a reasonable target at notes
> which otherwise often vary as much as 50-cents or more from what aural
> tuners have done.  I will never throw away my aural skills, but more and
> more I trust my ETD and my intuitions as I manipulate the program to present
> what I think will be a reasonable tuning for a particular instrument.
>
> Flame suit at the ready, I think more and more the standard for "accurate"
> is going to become the standard created by electronic devices.  After all
> I've been part of testing teams, and have seen how the examiners rely on the
> machine to make an accurate master tuning.  So, why not learn to manipulate
> the electronic programs through experience and then trust with wise use they
> will perform at or above the average tuner, and compete very well with the
> "good" tuners………  Even Avery Todd, I suspect, made great use of his SAT when
> he tuned for Olga Kern last week, and it was a very solid tuning, though she
> did do some damage with her massive strength.   So, I'm all for stirring the
> pot on this one and seeing what kind of "soup" comes out.
>
> les bartlett
>
>
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