[pianotech] aural checks and verituner or other ETD

[John Dorr]

List,

I use Tunelab.  I set the temperament in a hybrid fashion.  That is, I set A4 
with Tunelab, then I set each note from that aurally.  I use Tunelab in "aural 
sequence" mode and after I've set it aurally I ask Tunelab what it "thinks" 
about it.  If we're in complete agreement, fine.  If we disagree, I'll listen 
to where TL wants it and compare.  Sometimes I win, sometimes TL, sometimes we 
compromise.  I think this is a nice way to continue refining my aural skills. 
 ("Skills" might be too strong a word! ;-) )

After setting the temperament thusly, I set TL to "auto down", and follow a 
similar procedure.  Here is where TL is very cool.  Since it tells you 
onscreen which partial it's listening to, you can also play the octave above 
and monitor the stretch as you go, since if TL is listening to the 6th 
partial, then the note an octave above will trigger a reading on its own 3rd 
partial.  Thus you have a visible check on the 6:3 octave in this case.  You 
can set up whichever partial you want to hear, btw, either temporarily or 
permanently.  This way you use the machine to check ITSELF.  Doing it this way 
is helping me develop my ability to CHOOSE aurally a partial pair out of thin 
air and focus on it.  That is, I can play an octave and CHOOSE TO HEAR a 
specific partial.  Very exciting to me!

A similar procedure is employed going upward from the temperament.  When I get 
very high (last octave or a little more, sometimes 2 octaves) and TL is 
listening to the fundamental, I can play the octave below, the 17th below, and 
the double octave below and make a good placement.

I've yet to tune all the unisons as I go.  I intend to learn that too.  My 
holdback fear right now is that it may add time to my tuning, but I have some 
pianos at the store where I work where I could (and WILL) practice that on.

Summing up -- I tune aurally and use ETD checks.  It's refining my aural 
skills.  (there's that strong word again: "skills"  LOL)

Thanks for bringing up the topic.  I love what I'm reading.

John Dorr, RPT
Helena, MT