mutes

[RicB]

I think the "point" is more along the lines of different strokes for 
different folks.  What you find works best by no means constitutes whats 
best for anyone else.  I personally find the strip muting method to be 
less dependable in terms of hitting and staying on my target.  I end up 
having to go back and adjust the middle string again anyways.  Tuning 
unisons as I go yields me better results and I have no problems 
whatsoever listening to my tuning as I go.  I dont find it easier to 
check for <<correct>> (read intended) octave check using a strip... 
quite the opposite.

But thats just me. What works for me is what I should do.  My comments 
were stimulated by memories of several whom I knew back when I started 
in the states whom insisted that if I didnt use a strip mute I would 
never be able to tune a piano correctly.  A bunch of malarky.  I've 
taken my share of tests and am quite happy with my results.... Just 
tonite I had to do a 440 to 442 pitch change on a 8 month old Hamburg 
C... one hour was all I had before sound check.  After sound check I had 
a couple hours if I needed it.  I sat and just nitpicked with my handy 
dandy Pocket PC helping me make sure all was where I wanted it.  My 
aural checks are for a perfect 12th priority in the treble, adjusting as 
necessary for clean 4:2:1 double octaves, and I have a 6:3 octave basis 
for the base. Tunelab lends itself very nicely as an aid in directly 
confirming these relationships.  Outside of 5 or 6 notes I could have 
left the tuning for the concert... and even then it would have flown 
very nicely.

I'm not boasting here mind you.  I've been at this for nigh on 35 years 
now... and it strikes me that very much of the  "this is the way to do 
it" mentality is just ... well wrong.  There are many ways of skinning 
the proverbial cat.  I admire a good job no matter how its done.  No 
matter at all that I might go about things differently then another guy.

Cheers
RicB



    AMEN!  --D.N.

    The "point" is that it also takes time to move the little rubber
    mutes. Maybe just seconds, but you have to do it for every
    single string, so it adds up. Once the strip is is, a quick pull
    and you are on to the next string in the unison

    Also, I think its a whole lot easier to check for correct octave
    stretch and progression of thirds/sixths when you have
    the whole piano to listen to at once as opposed to a just
    a few notes you happen to be tuning.

    Having said that, I go back and forth between methods.