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<DIV>
<DIV>'Chipping-up' has always been the bedrock of tuning training on the
full-time courses here in UK. The first series of tests was the
completion of a pitch raise in decreasing time scales. I really can't rememb=
er
what the ultimate goal was, but it was probably something like 20minutes to
raise the pitch a resonable amount using just a plectrum on a strung
back.<BR>The guys who really perfected the technique were those who worked i=
n
piano factories and went through a phenomenal number of newly strung backs i=
n a
day. It was a very depressing sight to see a guy, often blind,
sitting in often a smallish room with scores of strung backs stacked like
library books beavering away non-stop. I would have though=
t
that this has been the practice in USA in the past, before automated stringi=
ng
in factories.<BR>However, there has always been a certain amount of controve=
rsy
as to its real value to 'on the road' tuners. My own=
experience, and that of many tuners, is not having pefected a consistant and=
useful commercial speed using this technique. You have to be doing a l=
ot
of it for it to be time saving. I think most of us perfect our own way=
of
action-in pitch raising.<BR><BR>One of the initial values of 'chipping-up' i=
n
the college training system, however, is to quickly familiarise the new stud=
ent
with the geography of the strung back and to encourage a fast and confident
initial approach to the whole business of tuning. It is acknowleged th=
at
this is an initial 'rough tuning' and there is no point in hanging abo=
ut
and getting neurotic about it being perfect. Just get on with it. =
;
Accuracy will develop with technique and experience. It really is an effecti=
ve
way of negating the over-cautious aspects in the personality of many
beginner students. I wish I had appreciated this more when I did my ow=
n
training.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The previous post is right in saying that the PTA do not require a chip=
ping
test, and their standard test appears to be OK. My own experience of t=
he
PTA has been a mixed one, and although i have never been a member, I did att=
end
some pretty good 3 day conventions in the 1980's. I would doubt though=
,
that even now, their conventions have such a broad based character as the US=
ones.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Ric</DIV></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>