<HTML>In a message dated 5/17/02 7:30:19 AM Central Daylight Time, mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com (Farrell) writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">I suppose the only thing to do is to do a good tuning and split. Any words of wisdom, do's &/or don'ts? Surprise 'em w/ a fun meantone? (just kidding).</BLOCKQUOTE> I'll answer your question first with one of my own.  How many times would you imagine that under the same circumstances, a tuner, fully convinced that ET and ET only would be the one proper way to tune the piano, ended up offering what Richard suggested as a joke? If you have an ETD, I would suggest that you use the standard program and worry less about temperament in this case than good octaves, unisons and stability, particularly in the treble & high treble.  The typical R&R performer will hammer on the piano in this area ( a la Jerry Lee Lewis) and this is what will be heard over anything else.  Indeed, most performers will "test" the piano up there by banging hard on it to see if it will hold.  (I remember a guy named Commander Cody who used to play the piano with his shoe up there but still insisted on rock solid clarity and stability). Now, as far as temperament goes, if it won't take more time than it is worth to program the ETD, then I'd suggest one of the very mild Victorian ones that people have been talking about.  This would not be the time to test the magic properties of the EBVT because you won't really have time to make sure that you have got it the way it is intended to be. Your hint about Meantone is really not that far off the mark because most R&R is played in the simple keys with 3 chord traditional harmony, which is what Meantone provides.  But really, any but the mildest Meantones such as 1/7, 1/8 or 1/9 would be so strikingly different that you would have trouble with stability and also with acceptance. The choice of a mild Victorian however, would give your chords played in the upper register more clarity and warmth.  But again, don't waste time on this over other basics. You are likely to find the piano off pitch.  So, telling yourself that you are going to run your program as quickly as you can once, maybe even twice to get it stable, then a final time pounding as hard and fast as you can will give you the best results.  Remember the sage advice of the late George Defebaugh to give you the motivation to get the job done the best way you can:  "You can tune the piano a lot faster twice [or even 3 times] than you can fight with it once". A  3rd or 4th pass can also be used on just one section of the piano which is giving you problems, such as the treble or high treble.  Get these areas stabilized first and leave the bass for last.  It is the easier, less stressful and more forgiving part of the piano which can be finished in a hurry when time is running out.  Wearing ear plugs will help not only with the stress but also suppress background noises helping you to keep your concentration. Good luck and let us know how it goes.  Coincidentally, I have to do a Jazz concert tuning late today with similar pressures except that thankfully, it is not outdoors.  (It will be all of 58 degrees here today, cold air from Canada hanging in there).  The piano will come from a dealer whose tuners all tune RW.  I expect it to be off pitch and probably need regulation.  Every one I have ever tuned from that place before has been that way.  I will probably have to do just a quick tuning (30 minutes) and come back when they are finished rehearsing and do a real job.  I'm not going to discuss temperament with the pianist but if he makes a comment about temperament after my initial rough tuning (which is the last thing I would expect), I will take action accordingly. Life is a challenge, rise to it. Bill Bremmer RPT Madison, Wisconsin <A HREF="http://www.billbremmer.com/">Click here: -=w w w . b i l l b r e m m e r . c o m =-</A> </HTML>