Jhj: When using an ETD you do check the notes already tuned by playing octaves or 12ths or whatever your favorite aural check. I think there's really not that much difference in your procedure, just the added check. If you are tuning C6 and suspect that C5 has slipped, aurally-only you have to do more checking to verify C5. With the ETD checking anything that has slipped is just somewhat simpler. When tuning in the temperament area, I check the progression of 3rds etc. just as I did without the ETD, I just don't have to make as many value judgments. Just get one and try it, it's not really as complicated as it sometimes sounds. dp David M. Porritt, RPT dporritt at smu.edu -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of jhjpiano at sbcglobal.net Sent: Saturday, April 04, 2009 1:59 PM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: [pianotech] Aural vs. ETD (test procedure) 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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