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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have been tuning aurally for 40 years and this is
the method which has proven best for me. Strip mute just the temperament
octave. Tune the temperament, center strings only, and then tune to the
top using two rubber mutes, pulling up the unisons as you go. (I don't
strip the whole treble because I want to deal with the tension changes as I go,
not just one third of the tension at a time.) Then I tune from the
temperament down through the bass, tuning bass unisons as I go. Then I
return and tune the unisons in the temperament octave. I tune them by
removing the felt strip one note at a time, tuning the left unison first and
then the right unison to the other two strings. I used to use a rubber
mute for this part of the tuning, but I find simply removing the temp. strip and
tuning the open strings is much faster. The only problem doing it this way
is if the left unison isn't perfect, you won't be able to tune the right one the
way you want. So what's the problem? Just do a good job on the left
one and you will get a good sounding unison on all three strings. On
uprights, I use a Mehaffey impact hammer, and on grands, a normal
hammer.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I use this proceedure only when the piano is within
10 cents of the proper pitch. More than that requires a pitch raise, for
which I charge 1/2 my tuning fee on top of the normal fee.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jim</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=thetuner@ivories52.com href="mailto:thetuner@ivories52.com">Geoff
Sykes</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">'Pianotech List'</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, July 08, 2007 6:05 PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Tuning sequence question</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=515414400-09072007>Greetings all
--</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=515414400-09072007></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=515414400-09072007>I know that when
using an ETD the preferred method of tuning is from the bass up to the treble,
tuning unisons as you go. Tests have apparently proven that this provides a
more accurate and stable tuning when completed. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=515414400-09072007></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=515414400-09072007>Traditionally,
aural tuning means strip muting the entire piano, and after setting the
temperament, all the center strings are then tuned moving first down
into the bass and then up into the treble. After the center strings are tuned
then unisons are set starting in the bass and moving up through the treble.
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=515414400-09072007></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=515414400-09072007>In doing an aural
tuning, is there any reason why one could not, or perhaps should
not, strip mute just the middle section of the piano, in order to
set the temperament, then immediately set the unisons in the temperament,
pulling out the strip mute as you go, followed by moving down into the
bass tuning the first string and setting unisons as you go and
subsequently up through the treble? </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=515414400-09072007></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=515414400-09072007>In other words,
which aural tuning method of the two described above, would produce the more
accurate and stable tuning when completed?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=515414400-09072007></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=515414400-09072007>-- Geoff
Sykes</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=515414400-09072007>-- Los
Angeles</SPAN></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>