[pianotech] Aural vs. ETD (test procedure)

jhjpiano at sbcglobal.net jhjpiano at sbcglobal.net
Sat Apr 4 11:59:22 PDT 2009


When I'm doing an aural tuning, I find that as I work my way up the piano, 
some of the notes I've already tuned slip.  This is bound to happen if any 
change in pitch is being applied.  As I am doing all my interval tests, when 
one of the tests fails, I go back and find the note that has changed.  I'm 
always building my tuning upon the notes I've already tuned.  My question 
is, how does an ETD tuner pick up those small changes if he/she doesn't 
listen for them using all the aural tests?  If he/she is just watching his 
display one note at a time, how does he/she (notice how I'm being PC) know 
what's happening to the rest of the piano? Do they go through the piano over 
and over one note at a time till no errors show up?  I'm not trying to prove 
a point, I'm just trying to understand the process and no one has been able 
to give me a satisfactory answer yet.  By the way, I'm one of those oral 
tuners who is beginning to be concerned about the ability to hear all the 
things I have always been able to hear, and at 65 I am considering getting 
an ETD to help me verify my tunings.  The trouble is, ETD tuners speak a 
whole new language which didn't exist in the 60's when I learned to tune. 
I'm not looking forward to learning the new technology.  Obviously I've 
learned to use a computer so I guess there's hope. 




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