[pianotech] Thanks and further comments

[Duaine Hechler]

On 02/02/2011 08:47 PM, tnrwim at aol.com wrote:
> Speaking of positive comments, would you be so kind as to answer three
> questions.
>  
> One, why are you so against learning to tune aurally?

I - TRUST - technology, I grow up with it. My first PC was the IBM PC
with the 8088 processor, circa 1983.

My mentor was and still is (on occasion) an aural tuner, however to save
time and his ears (don't want this debate again) switched to Cybertuner.

Repeating myself, being with him on many service calls - I - TRUST -
Cybertuner.

Again, repeating myself, I don't see the need - when I - TRUST - Cybertuner.
>  
> Second, when you sing barbershop, do you use an ETD to stay in tune,
> or do you use your ears?

I use my ears and being in it for 34+ years, I know what it sounds like
and what to listen for.

We basically have roots, thirds, fifths, octave roots, and "barbershop"
sevenths (C, E, G, Bb)

AND, to stop this idea dead in its tracks, yes, these checks can be done
on a piano - HOWEVER - with the voice, you don't have to "tune" out
false beats, echoing from neighboring notes, noise from the plate,
resonating strings, etc.

And that's it - no 9ths, 12ths, no counting beats, etc.

You - just - hear - it.

AND, you can't compare "tuning" your voice and tuning a piano.
>  
> Third, you tune unisons by ear, and you check octaves by ear at the
> end of a tuning. Doesn't that bother you? After all, you have to
> listen to the beats. How awful that must be for you.

First of all - NO - I - DON'T - listen for BEATS.

I listen to make sure the octaves sound like one note - just an octave
apart - just like in unisons - make them sound like one note.

Just like in barbershop music - the same note just an octave apart.

And this is where I came up with the name of "pure octaves" (don't want
to start this debate again).

To me, a pure octave, is where the high octave note is hidden in the
lower octave note. (??probably equal to no "stretch"??)

I other words, if I play A3 (880) and A4 (440), the A4 is hidden (not
heard separately) within A3.

Now if I hear "beats" or warbling then I see it as out of tune.

Also, in other words, if A3 and A4 are perfectly in tune, then if I
raise the dampers and hit A3 then A4 should start to vibrate.
> Speaking of tuning octaves, maybe I'm not as good as you, but often
> times when I check a note by playing it with one an octave lower, it
> sounds OK. But when I check that same note with a note two octaves
> down, and especially two octaves and a third down, I can hear that the
> note is not in tune. Why do you suppose that is? (Oh I'm sorry that
> makes 4 questions).

That just means, you are not done because they are not in tune.

Duaine

-- 
Duaine Hechler
Piano, Player Piano, Pump Organ
Tuning, Servicing & Rebuilding
Reed Organ Society Member
Florissant, MO 63034
(314) 838-5587
dahechler at att.net
www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com
--
Home & Business user of Linux - 11 years