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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> As Usual, while I =
was busy
writing my previous attempt at wittiness, Bill was getting down to the =
real
business of what we do. I too would Highly recommend that if someone =
wants to
learn to tune, he or she had better have some idea of how to do it =
aurally.
(That's with your ears) </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> The Yamaha tuners =
are designed
for (as far as I can tell) low inharmonicity pianos. (Inharmonicity, now =
there's
a four dollar word.) When inexperienced tuners use these on =
inappropriate,
high inharmonicity instruments, the tunings go to HELL! </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> But how would you =
know, if you
don't have ear training. That's the real point. For years, there has =
been the
argument between those who tune aurally, and those who use a machine. If =
you
know how to tune a pianer good, then you can use a quality machine that =
does
more than the Yamaha tuner, to achieve what you're trying to do almost
effortlessly. (Or at least, with less checking). The problem is that =
there is no
quick shortcut to getting there; it takes a lot of dedication and hard =
work. A
machine, if it's a high-level one like the Accu-tuner or Verituner, can =
help you
on your way, but you have to always stay awake and think ( and listen =
for the
errors that you will predictably find in certain regions in the piano.) =
Once you
know how to tune, then you can alter your tunings for your Style of =
tuning.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> The only reason =
ETD's have
gotten a bad rep, is that too many uninformed tuners have put way too =
much faith
in them. And I'm sick and tired of people dissing someone who could tune =
a piano
as well as anyone else for using an Etd IF, and that a big IF, they know =
what
they're doing. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Instead, I find way =
too many
tuners who, instead of using the machine the way it was meant to be =
used, just
coming in and " Stopping the lights", not having a clue as to how to do =
it, and
not having a sense of what a good tuning should sound. For them, it's a =
crutch,
they can't tune without it. These are usually the people who don't know =
how to
fix a sticking note also. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> To them, I would =
say; "Being
good means being involved and interested in what you do for a living, =
and caring
about it." </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> If this has been a =
bit of a
tirade, Forgive me. I had my car broken into at work today, and although =
they
were shooed away before anything was taken ( For which I am thankful, =
Lord) it
still made me mad, and a half hour later I got word that my Mother had =
been
taken to the hospital. Not a good day for me, so take my posting =
with a
large grain of salt. Don't feel sorry for me, though, I don't =
want
any words of sympathy; I just wish I could have shot the bastards that =
did it.
And believe me, I wouldn't hesitate. ( My Mom's fine, Thank God.) (For =
all you
Liberals, pass the ammunition, that's right, that's how it's
spelled.(Ammunition, that is)).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>Kevin E. Ramsey<BR><A
href="mailto:ramsey@extremezone.com">ramsey@extremezone.com</A></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=yardbird@pop.vermontel.net
href="mailto:yardbird@pop.vermontel.net">Bill Ballard</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, July 12, 2002 =
8:37 PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Affleck Piano =
Tuning?(and
Yamaha PT100/Verituner)</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>At 8:22 PM -0400 7/12/02, James Gammon =
wrote:<BR>>Affleck
Piano Tuning offers an "ebook" on "How to Tune Your Piano."<BR>>Is =
is worth
the $19.97? I'm a beginner and interested in =
getting<BR>>information
from as many (reliable) sources as I can on tuning
pianos<BR>>aurally.<BR>><BR>>On a completely unrelated note, =
does
Yamaha still make the PT100? Is<BR>>this a good tuner? =
How much
do they cost new/used? I can't seem to<BR>>find info on them
*anywhere* online. (And while we're at it, are<BR>>there any =
used
Verituners around?)<BR><BR>You wouldn't be trying to get into this =
business on
the cheap, <BR>concerned that $20 might be the right price to spend on =
a
<BR>"how-to-book" and a tremendous loss if it turns out to be
worthless?<BR><BR>I don't know why you would be interested in tuning =
aurally,
that is, <BR>if you intend on earning a living from it. A =
sophisticated ETD
would <BR>allow you to skip the first two years figuring out with your =
ears
and <BR>your brain what a good tuning sounds like. It is a long two =
years,
<BR>BTW. Just out of North Bennet Street in Spring of '72, I could =
barely
<BR>make it through a 9am and 1pm two-piano. Two years later, four =
pianos
<BR>was a regular day for me, but my hearing was still far ahead of my =
<BR>tuning.<BR><BR>If you really want to become an aural tuner, I'm =
not sure
what the <BR>purpose of an ETD would be for you. Unless you need to =
earn money
at <BR>it before you actually learn how we did it back in the old =
days.
<BR>Anybody can buy an ETD. Not everyone has the ears for aural
tuning.<BR><BR>Second-hand Verituners around? The unit only hit the =
market 12
months <BR>ago. The only way one of them might show up on the used =
market is
<BR>dissatisfied owner. If someone's dissatisfied within the first 30
<BR>days, under the satisfaction guaranteed policy, it'll end up back =
in
<BR>Vertituner's hands. They'll gladly put you on the waiting list for =
on
<BR>of those. But given the tiny market, and the sliver of that which
<BR>returns a one for a refund, it will be a wait.<BR><BR>Bill Ballard =
RPT<BR>NH Chapter, P.T.G.<BR><BR>"You'll make more money selling my =
advice
than following it"<BR> ...........Steve =
Forbes,
quoting his father, =
Malcom<BR>+++++++++++++++++++++</BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>