<WBR>This morning I tried Jim's method of tuning the left first, then the right, using the SAT, and pulling in the center string by ear. I did this on about a third of the mid treble strings of my first piano this morning. Two observations. First, I wasn't at all satisfied with the extra time it takes to put the rubber mute between the strings. I had to grab the mute about an inch from the end and carefully put it between the strings. That takes an extra two or three seconds. Multiply that by about 55 notes, and it adds an extra ten or fifteen minutes to your tuning time. Second. Even when I was very careful to get the lights to stand still for the outside strings, I was not satisfied with the unison when I pulled in the middle string. I wound up having to retune one or both outside strings. Maybe I need more practice, but I think I'll stick to my method. <br> <br> For the record, on uprights, I use two straight mutes for the mid section. I tune the middle string to the SAT. Pull out the right mute, and tune the right to the middle. Take out the left mute, and tune the left string to the middle. For the upper treble, usually after the brace, I use a "treble mute", (part 204 in the Schaff book). I put the mute between the middle and right strings. I tune the left to the SAT, and then move the mute over to tune the middle to the left, and then pull out the mute and tune the right to the other two strings. For grands, I use a felt mute, and do middle, right, left, for all the notes.  <br> <br> <div style="CLEAR: both">Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT<br> Piano Tuner/Technician<br> Honolulu, HI<br> Author of <br> The Business of Piano Tuning<br> available from Potter Press<br> www.pianotuning.com</div> <br> <br> -----Original Message-----<br> From: David Ilvedson <ilvey@sbcglobal.net><br> To: pianotech@ptg.org<br> Sent: Wed, 19 Mar 2008 9:25 am<br> Subject: Re: one mute<br> <br> <div id=AOLMsgPart_2_02d49873-a326-4e49-b1f7-87443b1510bb> <div align=left>Unisons as you go is a given, but I was really impressed with the mute technique of Jim Coleman, Sr.   Right string, Left string, Center string...simple as it sounds if you are not doing it...try it...</div> <div align=left>David Ilvedson, RPT<br> Pacifica, CA 94044<br> <br> </div> <div style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 3px solid; PADDING-TOP: 5px"> <HR> Original message<br> From: "David Andersen"  <br> To: "Pianotech List"  <br> Received: 3/19/2008 11:03:40 AM<br> Subject: Re: one mute<br> <br> <div align=left>100% agree. Single mute tuning opens up new vistas of stability and precision; when it's practiced consistently, tunings get better, more musical, more "ringing," clearer. Your standard of listening, and of excellence, rise quickly.</div> <div>David Andersen</div> <div><BR class=webkit-block-placeholder></div> <div><br> <div> <div>On Mar 19, 2008, at 3:38 AM, Tom Servinsky wrote:</div> <BR class=Apple-interchange-newline> <BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 16px Helvetica; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: separate; orphans: 2; widows: 2; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0"> <div><FONT face="Century Schoolbook" size=2>I could go on and on about the benefits of tuning unisons as you go. The bottom line is that you end up with a much more suitable tuning for the piano when all strings of a unison are taken into account. My temp strip is used for pitch adjustments and uprights only, but other than that, it stays in the tool case.</FONT></div> <div><FONT face="Century Schoolbook" size=2>  I don't know about many of you, but I'm multi-tasking as I tune as I'm voicing and dealing with false beats as I'm tuning the unisons. When I'm finally finished with a particular unison it's not only harmoniously in tune, but the unison is more stable and I've had the opportunity to deal<SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN></FONT><FONT face="Century Schoolbook" size=2>with the whole sound of the unison/ hammer event.</FONT></div> <div><FONT face="Century Schoolbook" size=2>  .</FONT><FONT face="Century Schoolbook" size=2>Making the adjustment to tune with a single mute requires some major adjustments but once that you've started to feel more comfortable with the procedure, you're tuning time diminishes  and the amount of territory you cover increases</FONT><FONT face="Century Schoolbook" size=2>.</FONT></div> <div><FONT face="Century Schoolbook" size=2>Tom Servinsky</FONT></div> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(0,0,0) 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----</div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(228,228,228); -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial"><B>From:</B><SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><A title=ilvey@sbcglobal.net href="mailto:ilvey@sbcglobal.net">David Ilvedson</A></div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B><SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><A title=ilvey@sbcglobal.net href="mailto:ilvey@sbcglobal.net">ilvey@sbcglobal.net</A><SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN>;<SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A></div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B><SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN>Wednesday, March 19, 2008 12:39 AM</div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B><SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN>RE: one mute</div> <div><FONT face="Century Schoolbook" size=2> </FONT><FONT face="Century Schoolbook" size=2> </FONT><FONT face="Century Schoolbook" size=2> </FONT><FONT face="Century Schoolbook" size=2> </FONT><br> </div> <div style="MARGIN: 0px">I found this one mute sequence in the SAT III manual article by Jim Coleman Sr.  <SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><br> <br> David Ilvedson, RPT<br> Pacifica, CA 94044<br> <br> </div> <div style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(0,0,0) 3px solid; PADDING-TOP: 5px"> <HR> Original message<br> From: "David Ilvedson"<SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN>    <br> To:<SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><A href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">caut@ptg.org</A>,<SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><A href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A><br> Received: 3/18/2008 8:24:26 PM<br> Subject: one mute<br> <br> <div style="MARGIN: 0px">Excuse me if this has been talked about (this may be David Andersens muting sequence?...but I read it in the SAT III manual...I think?)...</div> <div style="MARGIN: 0px"> </div> <div style="MARGIN: 0px">I used a temp strip for years and in the last 5 to 10 years I've been tuning unisons as I go.   I continued the temp strip format of a mute on each side of the unison and tuned the middle string with my SAT III and then tuned right to center and left to center.   I've never had any real problems, although in hindsight it did seem I was re-tweaking already tuned strings within the unison quite a bit...which I felt was another great thing about the ETD...   Anyhoo...I think this was Jim Coleman's method?...I can't seem to find the place in the manual...he recommended tuning the right string to the SAT (mute between middle-left string), tune left string to the SAT (mute between middle-right string), then tune middle to left string aurally, pull mute and there should be no change in the unison, i.e. dead on.   Well, tonight at the Ballet I tuned 2 pianos using this method and "epiphany"...first I was finding my left string was consistently flat a cent or two.   The unisons seemed more dead on...blooming...and I didn't have to re-tune strings!   Really kind of annoying to discover this after 34 years...;-[  I mean how can the muting sequence make any difference?   What I'm thinking is the 2 outside strings have a string between them and the tuning an outside string doesn't effect the other outside string?   I don't now...but it will be interesting to go to the Ballet tomorrow afternoon and see if the left string is not consistently flat...and the overall tuning...</div> <div style="MARGIN: 0px"> </div> <div style="MARGIN: 0px">This really makes clear (imho) the necessity of getting rid of the temp strip and tuning unisons as you go...with this muting sequence...</div> <div style="MARGIN: 0px"> </div> <div style="MARGIN: 0px">This is probably nothing but old news too many of you, but if someone finds it helpful...</div> <div style="MARGIN: 0px"> </div> <div style="MARGIN: 0px">David Ilvedson, RPT<br> Pacifica, CA 94044<br> </div> </div> </BLOCKQUOTE></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE></div> <br> </div> </div> </div> <div id='u8CA583E27262045-10B0-447D' class='aol_ad_footer'><FONT style="color: black; 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