I have been tuning unisons as I go for a couple of years now, but I use a split mute. I use a single felt mute for the bi-chords, moving it once for every two notes. Then I switch to a split felt mute for the tri-chords. This is just two felt mutes that I glued together. For uprights I basically do the same thing but instead of the felt mutes I use the rubber mutes on wire handles, and have a commercially made rubber split mute that uses a piece of flat spring steel as the handle. I have a Papps mute, too, but I can't remember the last time I used it. I'm big on conserving effort and time. The advantage of using a split mute on the tri-chords is that you can tune three strings, one string in each of three adjacent notes, for the price of only having to move the mute once. . Geoff Sykes, RPT . Los Angeles -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of David Ilvedson Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 1:43 PM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: Re: one mute That sounds right to me. I'm using the felt wedges sold for bass tuning. Wide ones mostly but the thinner ones for uprights until I run out of room. The Papps mute is the plastic chopstick thingy with a spring to keep the tips apart? I have one in my kit, but have not really tried it...I'll give it a go on an upright this afternoon... David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, CA 94044 ----- Original message ---------------------------------------- From: "David Boyce" <David at piano.plus.com> To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org> Received: 3/19/2008 1:16:52 PM Subject: Re: one mute >In the new book by Brian Capleton, "Theory and Practice of Piano >Tuning" he >says on p167 >"Tuning only the middle string of each trichord makes the task of scale >tuning quicker and easier. The unisons are then tuned afterwards. There is >nothing in elementary theory to suggest that this might give a result >different to tuning the scale trichord by trichord. In practice there are >important differences, which is why expert tuners always proceed using a >Papps wedge, tuning the unisons as the scale tuning proceeds, rather than >using muting felt. Muting felt is, however, used in the learning process, >until the trainee reaches the stage where wedge tuning can be undertaken. >In order to tune the scale using a Papp's wedge, firstly there must be the >ability to reliably tune excellent ans stable unisons, and secondly there >must be some understanding of the raltionship between the sound of the >unison and the sound of the tempered interval". >I don't have a muting strip at all, but have always used a Papp's wedge >(rubber wedge for grands). >Best regards, >David. >"100% agree. Single mute tuning opens up new vistas of stability and >precision; when it's practiced consistently, tunings get better, more >musical, more "ringing," clearer. Your standard of listening, and of >excellence, rise quickly. >David Andersen"
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