Well... to each their own as it were... and whatever works for you. I would like to point out that pounding hard is pure and simply not needed. With a good hammer technique one can feel all one needs to in order to <<know>> exactly whether the string is set well enough or not... without playing hard at all. A reasonably firm test blow one time can certainly be re-assuring... but if you've set the thing right to begin with it wont move. Hard blows can indeed, as others have pointed out, make the tuning unstable forcing to much of the tension through the termination points... only to be selv-released later on. If your tuning is unstable... its not because you are hitting either too loud or too soft.... its because you don't have a good enough tuning technique.... its in the wrists and hands and fingers. Cheers RicB I agree with you completly Phil, there is no such thing as "pounding too hard" unless you are breaking keys regularly! I frequently follow the light touch techs and tooners in this area and find the piano settling more under my touch/pounding but when I finish my tunings stay put! I have had the comment more than once that I was the loudest tech they've ever had, which I take as a complement, I then explain to them why. Oh and yes I use hearing protection also! Mike
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