<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16711" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ben- (Ben Gac, RPT, isn't it?)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>You are asking all the right questions, and using very good techniques.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>There are so many kinds of pianos, in so many different conditions, that there is (in my opinion) no fixed answer to your question.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Much of what a fine tuner knows is embodied in the non-verbal parts of the person, and can be sometimes observed, but never fully and correctly put into words.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Working as an aural tuner, and doing the various aural pitch adjustments you are doing will build expertise into your body. ETDs can teach you other things about pianos, but don't let them over-ride your aural connection.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Being in a place where you can watch great tuners at work will yield almost magical benefits.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I think you are already a fine tuner, and if you keep exploring the various techniques you mention, you will become even better.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>If you read back issues of the Journal, you will find many techniques more well-known at a time when more technicians tuned aurally. Dan Levitan is a very accomplished aural tuner who wrote many good articles in the 1990's.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The most common thread is multiple passes, two quick passes are better than one slow pass. If the instrument is very close, I don't think the question of when the unisons are tuned, or what sequence is used, is of any importance. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ed Sutton (Hoping to be a real tuner before I die or go deaf.)</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE 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=ben@benspianotuning.com href="mailto:ben@benspianotuning.com">Ben Gac</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech Mailing List</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, August 19, 2008 8:25 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Tuning stability and efficiency</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV>Hi everyone,<BR><BR>I would to get your feedback on what you all this is the <SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">most stable</SPAN> and <SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">efficient</SPAN> way to tune.  I've been trying many, many different ways over the past couple of months and asking other technicians that I come across why they tune the way that they do.  I've been searching for the optimal way that an aural tuner can tune fast and stably.  <BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>