From "Ed Sutton" <ed440@mindspring.com>
Just for more fun, consider how various mutes will displace the string and disturb the hammer/string contact. Sometimes it can create an out-of-phase unison between the two open strings. Better to place the mute in such a way that it pushes the muted string away from the hammer. Less of a problem, perhaps, with felt mutes that you just drop lightly between the strings.
"Perhaps" is a useful word when writing about pianos.
Ed S.
Original Message -----
From: Brian Wilson
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 12:00 AM
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Advantages/Disadvantages of muting techniques
May I pitch in here.
Couple of thoughts (well from over here anyway) No temperament strip is considered the "old" tuning way. I know many tuners who are for and against temperament strips. I use both techniques. More on that later.
An interesting comment is from an article from the Yamaha tuning school in Sydney was that to achieve a fine temperament, a temperament strip had to be used. I can't remember the writer. The latest Yamaha tuning book states to use a temperament strip in the middle, then tune unisons, then tune the rest of the piano. Kawai and Schimmel factory technicians do the same.
We could argue until the next century on which technique is the best. Does it really matter? No. We all become familiar with our own style of tuning. What suits me may not suit you.
The reality is that if the string wants to move, it will do so with any tuning technique.
Some common complaints against temperament strips:
Strings move, no good for dampers, not hearing the real 3 strings, they are for amateurs, some piano owners think they are part of their piano,
Some common good points for temperament strips:
Accuracy, good for listening to interval speed progression, fast pitch raises,
Some common good points for single mutes:
Whole note tuning, better for stability, better pitch raises, better for concert work, better to find out of tune strings for concert touch ups, intervals beat slightly differently as a whole note,
Some common bad points for single mutes:
Inaccurate temperament, ruining damper felts.
I am not arguing whether one way is better than another. Let Mark decide which is best for him.
A visiting technician performed some work on 2 concert grand that I tune frequently and he advised me that if I wanted to improve as a "concert technician" I had to stop using a temperament strip (btw F3-F4 only) and use a single mute. "This is the way to become as good as me" he told me. I listened to his advice, and tried his techniques, and I do tune these pianos in this manner. I do know that I perform the exact same tuning on these pianos if I use a temperament strip in the bass and the middle sections. As I wrote before, does it really matter, as I can achieve the same final result with either techniques.
As the English would say "wot a load of bollocks"
Mark, try out all the techniques from this list, and find the one that suits you.
And, may your springboks be defeated by the wallabies.... I hope !!
Best regards
Brian Wilson
Brisbane, Australia
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Ryan Sowers
Sent: Wednesday, 5 August 2009 1:18 PM
To: David Ilvedson; pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Advantages/Disadvantages of muting techniques
I used strip mutes for the first 15 years of my tuning career, and have not used them for the past 3 years. I would agree that the strips have their charms. They seem to lower stress by creating the illusion of greater clarity.
The problem is people don't the piano with strip mutes in. Listening to the entire tone is a different experience then listening to only 1/3 or even 2/3 of the sound.
On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 8:01 PM, David Ilvedson <ilvey@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
If you are fine tuning a piano, i.e. making a change of around 1 or 2 cents, I don't think strip muting would be a problem...aurally.
David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA 94044
Original message ----------------------------------------
From: PianoForteTechnologies <pianofortetechnology@saol.com>
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Received: 8/4/2009 8:55:00 AM
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Advantages/Disadvantages of muting techniques
>Hello Ed and David
>
>Ed, I will try what you suggest and see how it works.
>
>David, If one had to be fine tuning, would the center string change that
>much or at all? Yes, if while I am pitch raising and tuning in one pass,
>the center string will change.
>One makes judgements and tunes accordingly, I suppose. It certainly will
>not be a fine tuning but a tuning that most will accept, except concert
>tuners and concert pianists.
>Is this why some tuners tune unisons as you go only, so you can hear the
>change between intervals, once the unison (or couple) has been tuned and
>adjust accordingly as you go?
>You have made me think!?
>
>Mark Davis
>
>
--
Ryan Sowers, RPT
Puget Sound Chapter
Olympia, WA
www.pianova.net
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