Pianotech

I have an appointment coming up for a tuning that involves a Steinway D and a Kawai GS-70 on stage for a piano duo concert. By now you already know what my question is. What's the best way to tune them so that they don't strangle each other? Customer is aware that there will be compromise involved. I'm thinking that if I took the IH readings from the Steinway and used them to tune the Kawai, that might work. Or should I just tune them to what they individually want to be and let them fight it out? Not that this changes anything but this is a long term existing customer, a church, who has decided that renting a matching D is just not in the budget, so they are moving the Kawai from the choir room, two floors down, to the worship center for this concert. 

I have an appointment coming up for a tuning that involves a Steinway D and a Kawai GS-70 on stage for a piano duo concert. By now you already know what my question is. What's the best way to tune them so that they don't strangle each other? Customer is aware that there will be compromise involved. I'm thinking that if I took the IH readings from the Steinway and used them to tune the Kawai, that might work. Or should I just tune them to what they individually want to be and let them fight it out? Not that this changes anything but this is a long term existing customer, a church, who has decided that renting a matching D is just not in the budget, so they are moving the Kawai from the choir room, two floors down, to the worship center for this concert. 

I have an appointment coming up for a tuning that involves a Steinway D and a Kawai GS-70 on stage for a piano duo concert. By now you already know what my question is. What's the best way to tune them so that they don't strangle each other? Customer is aware that there will be compromise involved. I'm thinking that if I took the IH readings from the Steinway and used them to tune the Kawai, that might work. Or should I just tune them to what they individually want to be and let them fight it out? Not that this changes anything but this is a long term existing customer, a church, who has decided that renting a matching D is just not in the budget, so they are moving the Kawai from the choir room, two floors down, to the worship center for this concert. 

I have an appointment coming up for a tuning that involves a Steinway D and a Kawai GS-70 on stage for a piano duo concert. By now you already know what my question is. What's the best way to tune them so that they don't strangle each other? Customer is aware that there will be compromise involved. I'm thinking that if I took the IH readings from the Steinway and used them to tune the Kawai, that might work. Or should I just tune them to what they individually want to be and let them fight it out? Not that this changes anything but this is a long term existing customer, a church, who has decided that renting a matching D is just not in the budget, so they are moving the Kawai from the choir room, two floors down, to the worship center for this concert. 

I have an appointment coming up for a tuning that involves a Steinway D and a Kawai GS-70 on stage for a piano duo concert. By now you already know what my question is. What's the best way to tune them so that they don't strangle each other? Customer is aware that there will be compromise involved. I'm thinking that if I took the IH readings from the Steinway and used them to tune the Kawai, that might work. Or should I just tune them to what they individually want to be and let them fight it out? Not that this changes anything but this is a long term existing customer, a church, who has decided that renting a matching D is just not in the budget, so they are moving the Kawai from the choir room, two floors down, to the worship center for this concert. 

I have an appointment coming up for a tuning that involves a Steinway D and a Kawai GS-70 on stage for a piano duo concert. By now you already know what my question is. What's the best way to tune them so that they don't strangle each other? Customer is aware that there will be compromise involved. I'm thinking that if I took the IH readings from the Steinway and used them to tune the Kawai, that might work. Or should I just tune them to what they individually want to be and let them fight it out? Not that this changes anything but this is a long term existing customer, a church, who has decided that renting a matching D is just not in the budget, so they are moving the Kawai from the choir room, two floors down, to the worship center for this concert. 

I have an appointment coming up for a tuning that involves a Steinway D and a Kawai GS-70 on stage for a piano duo concert. By now you already know what my question is. What's the best way to tune them so that they don't strangle each other? Customer is aware that there will be compromise involved. I'm thinking that if I took the IH readings from the Steinway and used them to tune the Kawai, that might work. Or should I just tune them to what they individually want to be and let them fight it out? Not that this changes anything but this is a long term existing customer, a church, who has decided that renting a matching D is just not in the budget, so they are moving the Kawai from the choir room, two floors down, to the worship center for this concert. 

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Geoff Sykes, RPT
Los Angeles CA
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Interesting comments but I'd emphasize that this is not a matter to over think or stress out about. Let's use the knowledge we already have: Chamber ensembles (e.g. clarinet + violin/viola/cello!) have wildly different inharmonicities specifically and tonal envelopes in general. Yet, they sound good when each instrument is in tune with itself and set at A-440. This is even much more the case with an entire orchestra (Glockenspiel, harp and tympani plus winds and strings!?!?). But it works out just fine. If orchestras stressed out over the questions being asked here, they'd go nuts. 

So, what's important is that each instrument have its own consistent tonal integrity. In my work with piano duos (I was the regular technician for one touring duo for several decades plus a few others) I have been told that they specifically do not want the two pianos to be identical. 

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Keith Akins RPT
Menominee MI
(715) 775-0022

Original Message:
Sent: 05-24-2024 22:35
From: Geoff Sykes
Subject: Tuning different sized pianos for piano duo concert

I have an appointment coming up for a tuning that involves a Steinway D and a Kawai GS-70 on stage for a piano duo concert. By now you already know what my question is. What's the best way to tune them so that they don't strangle each other? Customer is aware that there will be compromise involved. I'm thinking that if I took the IH readings from the Steinway and used them to tune the Kawai, that might work. Or should I just tune them to what they individually want to be and let them fight it out? Not that this changes anything but this is a long term existing customer, a church, who has decided that renting a matching D is just not in the budget, so they are moving the Kawai from the choir room, two floors down, to the worship center for this concert. 

------------------------------
Geoff Sykes, RPT
Los Angeles CA
------------------------------

I have an appointment coming up for a tuning that involves a Steinway D and a Kawai GS-70 on stage for a piano duo concert. By now you already know what my question is. What's the best way to tune them so that they don't strangle each other? Customer is aware that there will be compromise involved. I'm thinking that if I took the IH readings from the Steinway and used them to tune the Kawai, that might work. Or should I just tune them to what they individually want to be and let them fight it out? Not that this changes anything but this is a long term existing customer, a church, who has decided that renting a matching D is just not in the budget, so they are moving the Kawai from the choir room, two floors down, to the worship center for this concert.