Re: Electronic Piano Tuners
By Douglas K. Rhodes
Greetings:
Joe Hutter poses the question:
> I would be most interested in knowing the general consensus regarding
> the question ==> What is the best value in piano tuning equipment
> currently on the market?
I am quite sure others can knowledgably answer the question that Joe is actually asking, which of course refers to electronic equipment. As far as I am concerned, the best value in piano tuning equipment is (you guessed it) a good pair of ears. Here's why:
Tuning is primarily (though not exclusively) concerned with the problem of perceiving and adjusting relationships between pitches. As accurate as some of the electronic tuners are, *not one* is capable of listening to more than one note at a time. The electronic tuner is limited to measuring first one pitch, then another, and (at best) calculating an optimum relationship. Your ear can do this very quickly listening to pairs, perhaps even trios of pitches simultaneously. An experienced tuner can very quickly assess the relationships that exist among many notes, where the electronic device must listen one at a time and impose an idealized scale upon an instrument and scale that may be far from ideal. If one is only going to attempt tuning a piano very occasionally, I suppose there could be some justification for the electronic tuner, though one might be disappointed at the discovery that there is no electronic tuner that will completely substitute for aural tuning experience.
Assuredly, there is a great deal that can be learned about tuning and tuning theory through the use of an electronic tuner. Professional situations exist (particularly in institutions) where a good electronic tuner can be invaluable for pitch raises, matching pairs of performance pianos, and so forth. And there are some excellent tuners available. The Sanderson Accu-Tuner, for example, is a real Cadillac among electronic tuners. It has many very nicely engineered features. Once tuned, a scale (many scales, in fact) can be "memorized" for future reference, down-loaded to a PC for storage or analysis, and optimum stretch can be accurately calculated for just about any scale.
The tuning exam given to applicants for Registered Piano Technician certification in the Piano Technicians Guild involves the use of the Accu-Tuner for recording the "master" tuning of the exam piano, and further used to compare the aspirant's tuning with the "master". The "master" tuning, performed by a Certified Tuning Examiner, is *still* done entirely by ear, however, and its correctness is judged by a committee of Certified Tuning Examiners - by ear. Once that tuning has been agreed upon, that particular piano may be subsequently tuned for exams with the use of the Accu-Tuner and the memorized "master" tuning data. The CTE's still listen to the piano, of course, before pronouncing it ready for exams.
A central problem is that even with the very best electronic tuners, those instruments that have always been difficult to tune - small, poorly scaled spinets and consoles - are still hard to tune. Where the professional tuner might really appreciate assistance, the electronic devices are not much help. Tuning those poorly scaled instruments is, like politics, the art of compromise. The ear and brain are still the best tools for that task. The very best electronic tuners are also quite expensive. I would think that only professional technicians who can fully justify the cost would want to spend US$1200 or more on an electronic tuner. And, it has been observed over and over again that many piano tuners who start out with an electronic tuner never become good tuners by ear, which is almost always the same as saying they never become good tuners, period.
I realize that the stance I am taking is considered, in some circles, to be old-fashioned and reactionary, and I am quite prepared for the onslaught of criticism that may come my way. This discussion has been raging among members of the Piano Technicians Guild for many years. My remarks are primarily aimed at those non-tuners or novices who are hoping that the purchase of the right electronic tuner will solve for them the whole problem of tuning pianos. By itself, it won't. Judging from what I have seen, it may in fact further retard the slow process of becoming a good tuner.
The bottom line for me is how my piano-playing clients feel about the tuning I do. In twenty-two years of tuning professionally for students, teachers, institutions, concert artists, etc., I have been asked many times whether I used an electronic tuner. In all cases, the clients were relieved when I said "no". I have *never* had a client express disappointment that I tuned by ear. The results that I get tuning by ear satisfy the ear, not the machine.
Cheers
Doug Rhodes
RPT - The Piano Technicians Guild
Victoria, British Columbia
CANADA |
(Message sent Fri 4 Oct 1996, 04:43:00 GMT, from time zone GMT-0700.) |
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