<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:v = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1 = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2802" name=GENERATOR><o:SmartTagType name="City" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagT= ype><o:SmartTagType name="place" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagT= ype> <STYLE>  </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-US vLink=purple link=blue bgColor=white> <DIV>I think this might be m problem with speed in tuning.  As I'm learning this awesome trade, I'm finding that I = need to raise pitch on any practice piano.  For some reason, I feel like = I'm doing less quality work etc if I were to leave it flat or sharp, flat in most cases.  It's a perfectionist thing.  I feel as if it's not = a440, I'm doing a poor job and m ycollegues with more experience are saying, "it's = not a440."  So how do I just tune for the sake of tuning and gaining = experience without the necessity to match it to a440?  </DIV> <DIV>Marshall</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">From: <A title=john@formsmapiano.com = href="mailto:john@formsmapiano.com">John Formsma</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">To: <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">'Pianotech List'</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">Sent: Saturday, January 28, = 2006 8:16 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">Subject: RE: frequent tuning - = floating pitch? was tuning</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV class=Section1> Jason,<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I float the = pitch all the time. Stability is my goal rather than having the piano = “dead-on” A440 all the time.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Here’s = the typical scenario…it’s winter now and the piano is 4-5 cents flat in the = bass, -12 in the tenor, and -5 in the treble. So, I do a one-pass tuning to A439. = This way, in the summer, things will be a bit sharp of A440. If you pitch = correct all the time, the piano is not as stable. In the summer, when the piano is = sharp, I’ll tune to A440 or A441, whichever will give the best stability.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Now, if the = piano is in a church that uses other instruments, it gets tuned to A440. = However, in certain less “critical” situations, I’ll get within 2 cents of = A440 depending on the season. Most people don’t ever notice that difference. Again, = the goal is stability rather than being at A440 all the time.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> From the = perspective of most customers, they want a piano in tune with itself, and don’t = really care if it’s at A439 or A441. They do care about paying extra for = pitch corrections every season to have it right at A440. If I see other = instruments like a guitar or violin near the piano, I’ll ask the customer’s = preference first. Yes, I do offer DC systems.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> John Formsma<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" = align=center> <HR tabIndex=-1 align=center width="100%" SIZE=2> </DIV> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Jason = Kanter Sent: Saturday, January 28, = 2006 1:22 AM To: 'Pianotech List' Subject: = frequent tuning - floating pitch? was tuning<o:p></o:p></DIV> <o:p> </o:p> I imagine = that if you "recently" tuned the piano (last week or last month or two months ago) = and now it's still "in tune" but a couple of cents sharp, you tune it where it = lies? That makes it a half-hour tuning instead of an hour and a half, and = the following week (or month or couple of months) you again tune it where = it lies, and within six months, when you have the couple of hours, you bring it = all to 440 again. Yes? Or do you keep adjusting it to 440 every time? Or sell = Dampp-chasers?<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> <DIV> || ||| || ||| || ||| || ||| || ||| || ||| || Jason = Kanter . jkanter@rollingball.com Piano tuning, regulation, repair Serving = Seattle and the San Juans 425.830.1561  <o:p></o:p></DIV> <o:p> </o:p> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" = align=center> <HR tabIndex=-1 align=center width="100%" SIZE=2> </DIV> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of PJR Sent: Friday, January 27, 2006 = 5:16 PM To: Pianotech List Subject: Re: tuning<o:p></o:p> I tune cruise ship pianos once a week.  = On them you have the problem of rocking, vibrations, salt air, hard players = and continuous playing (mechanisms).  Comes down to the fact that you = tune a whenever it needs it. Phil Ryan <st1:City = w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Miami Beach</st1:place></st1:City> pianotune05 = wrote: <o:p></o:p> <DIV> Hi everyone,<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> How often is too often = to tune a piano?  I typically see twice a year, or even every three = months.  Is anything less than that necessary such as once a month or even once = a week which I 've heard of?<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place = w:st="on">Marshall</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p></DIV>= <o:p> </o:p></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML= >