Pianotech

  • 1.  Tuning 2 Stienways with an Accutuner

    Member
    Posted 02-11-2020 14:56
    I have a concert coming up to tune a Steinway M and Steinway B for Face 2 Face, a tribute to Billy Joel and Elton John with a backup band. I would like to use my SAT III for the tunings as it is a very robust day on my calendar and would appreciate anyone who has tuned these two pianos that might be played together using a SAT if you have any tuning tips from your experiences on offsets and stretch numbers used for pop music.

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    Kevin Magill
    Williamsburg VA
    757-220-2420
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  • 2.  RE: Tuning 2 Stienways with an Accutuner

    Posted 02-11-2020 16:32
    I'd tune the central three octaves without stretch at all.

    Then below Tenor C tune perfect 12ths. So if the Accutuner allows
    manual note choice, as soon as you go down to Tenor C, reset the tuner
    starting at A440 and move down note by note to F#. You tune that B
    below Tenor C to that F# below A440 and go down from there. This is
    effectively tuning the 3rd harmonic to the scale note and this will
    put the inharmonicity right all the way down. After tuning C above
    A440, take your tuner to the octave above and play that C above A440,
    effectively tuning your tuner to the 2nd harmonic. This will give you
    the appropriate stretch setting for the octave above the C above the
    A880. You can do the same for the octave above that.

    The original ETDs available in Britain in the 1970s operated that way,
    with calibration for each of the higher two or three octaves, and
    worked well. Using this scheme you'll be able to set both instruments
    adequately the same without excessive deviation.

    Best wishes

    David P

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    David Pinnegar, B.Sc., A.R.C.S.
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    +44 1342 850594




  • 3.  RE: Tuning 2 Stienways with an Accutuner

    Posted 02-11-2020 17:18
    For insure notes to match, tune the B and use that file to tune the M.

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    Regards,

    Jon Page
    mailto:jonpage@pianocapecod.com
    http://www.pianocapecod.com
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  • 4.  RE: Tuning 2 Stienways with an Accutuner

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-11-2020 19:28
    Mr.Magill,

    Since you have a little time try this. Create an FAC tuning using  7.8, 7.8, and 7.8 as the numbers and save it to a page in memory you don't care about. This is a good generic for a model M or a Yamaha C2. Then do the same with an FAC tuning using 6.8, 7.8, and 6.7 as the numbers if the model B is more than fifteen years old, If it's newer try 6.9, 8.3 and 7.5 (scale changed around 2005). Go through the tunings note by note and record the pitch offsets on paper or in a spreadsheet. and see where they differ. The B will have wider octaves than the M will. If you do as Mr Page suggests you'll need to be okay with the octaves and the fourths on the M beating more than you're used to. If you compromise between the two the M won't be as noisy in the fourths but the B will be noisier in the fifths and it's octaves will lack color. In any event however you proceed ,if it's possible, have the pianos moved keyboard to keyboard either parallel or 90 degrees and finish by tuning the unisons of the two together. In performance the unisons are all the audience or the performers will really notice.

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    Karl Roeder
    Pompano Beach FL
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  • 5.  RE: Tuning 2 Stienways with an Accutuner

    Posted 02-12-2020 02:06
    Mr Karl Roeder's suggestion is probably the best compromise. These two are just enough different that you'll pull your hair out matching the best compromise of inharmonicity. 
    In my mother's studio I had to explain the physics of why I couldn't match an Astin Weight with a Sauter. That's a worst case. You are dealing with more subtle differences that I really think no one will really notice if they are st their least noisiest unisons.
    let us know how they come out. 


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    Mark Holt
    KeysInTune.com

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  • 6.  RE: Tuning 2 Stienways with an Accutuner

    Posted 02-12-2020 08:48
    The VT is so much easier to use. You could also simply tune each to itself and then check for glaring differences with the keyboards situated closely.

    Try tuning a tired old M and a Chickering console for two jazz masters: Dave McKenna and Teddy Wilson.  Those were the days...

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    Regards,

    Jon Page
    mailto:jonpage@pianocapecod.com
    http://www.pianocapecod.com
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