piano tuning
DESCRIPTION
steps on how to tune your own pianoTRANSCRIPT
Piano tuning procedureAUGUST 10,
2011 BY JUAN 7
COMMENTS
Learn to tune a
piano aurally,
what follows is the
standard
protocole. First of
all, you will
need some basic
tools, these you
can buy at any
online tool
suppliers on the
internet. You
could buy
everything as a
piano tuning kit or
you can buy them
individually.
What ever way you
choose, make sur
e you buy
the right tools. If
possible try to buy
good quality piano
tuning equipment,
that way you will
have better overage
results and your
tuning will be easier
and more accurate.
Piano tuning tools
A set of basic piano
tools is not too
expensive, certainly
no more than a
standard
professional
tuning.The first
thing you obviously
need to learn to
tune pianos, is a
piano in a
reasonable good
state. Bear in mind
that some very old
ones specially if
they still have
wooden frames are
simply not tunable,
so better disregard
those ones as they
will make the tuning
very difficult or
practically
impossible. The
piano can be old
but must hold the
tune, that means it
must be in a good
enough condition to
stand a standard A-
440 tune and hold it
for some time. Also
better to choose a
good size one. Big
uprights and grands
are easier to tune
than spinets and
small uprights.
The tuning
lever or
hammer
A whole chapter
could be writing
about the tuning
hammer, this is
the most
important piano
tuning tool. I
think you could
consider to buy
a good one, no
doubt it’s a good
investment. The
extended ones
with changeable
heads and tips
are the best
ones. A good
tuning lever is
far better than
an ordinary one,
makes the job
easier, more
precise and
professional.
The tuning fork
and two rubber
mutes
An ordinary
tuning fork A-
440. You can
buy them at any
musical
instrument shop.
The tuning fork
produce an
exact pitch that
you will use as a
basic reference.
The rubber
wedges you can
buy or make
then yourself.
The utility of
these simple
rubber wedges
is to mute the
strings we don’t
want to hear.
Felt
temperament
strip
Better to have a
couple of these.
They are strips
of felt about two
or three
millimetres thick
by two or three
cm (one inch)
wide and about
a meter long.
We will need
then to set the
temperament
which is the first
thing we do
when tuning a
piano.
A metronome
Any metronome
will do, but one
of those small
digital ones
would be
perfect. A
metronome will
be very handy in
early learning so
that we can
practice and
check the
accuracy of the
beat rates we
use when tuning
a piano. When
we are
accustomed to
hearing and
recognizing the
beat rates, then
will not need the
metronome
anymore.
TUNING
PROCEDURE –
SETTING THE
TEMPERAMENT
Disclaimer: What
follows is a basic
and general
information
procedure for tuning
a piano. To view the
full protocol and
specific piano
tuning instructions,
please refer to
eBook “How to tune
a piano”
The temperament,
setting the
temperament
The temperament
could be defined as
a group of notes in
the center of the
keyboard,
stretching appro
ximately
one octave
(normally from F33
to F45 or from F33
to A49) that are
tuned in a certain
way. Once the
temperament is set
we will use it as a
reference to tune
the rest of the
keyboard.
Setting the
temperament is the
most important
aspect of tuning.
The quality of our
piano tuning
depends a great
deal on how well
the temperament
has been built.
Although setting the
temperament is not
really complex, its
study required
some time and
practice. Time well
spent I would say,
as once
learned, you can
apply to every
tuning you will
make in future.
Basically there are
two groups of
temperaments. In
one hand the ones
that use mainly fifth
and fourth intervals
and only third and
sixth intervals for
testing. The other
group of intervals
on the contrary
utilizes mainly third
and sixth and only
fifth and fourth to
check and evaluate.
In my humble
opinion, the second
group is better.
Why? Because the
third and sixth
intervals produce
faster beat rates,
about 7, 8 and 9
bps (beats per
second), generally
easier to listen and
judge. In contrast,
the first
temperament
group, the one that
uses mainly fifth
and fourth intervals,
generates slower
beat rates, which
for most of us are
significantly harder
to recognize.
First step
Mute the
unisons Mute
with a felt strip
the side strings
of every unison
from F33 to F45
(see the picture
above). Leave
unmuted the
center strings as
this will be for
now the only
string of every
unison in the
temperament
that we will tune.
Second step
Using the
tuning fork Tune
A4 to its
theoretical
standard pitch
440 htz. You will
need a
chromatic tuner
with speakers
that can
generate that
frequency or an
A-440 tuning
fork.
Third step
Tuning the
temperament.
Now tune the
temperament.
The standard
way to tune the
temperament is
using third, sixth
and fifth
intervals and
tuning them to
specific beat
rates, save fifth
and fourth
interval for
testing. If you
prefer or feel
more
confortable, you
can do the other
way around as
there is not rule
of thumb in this
matter. At this
stage, the center
string is the only
string at every
unisons in the
temperament
that you will
tune.
Forth step
Tuning octaves.
Tuning octaves
is fairly simple.
Tuning hammer
on F#46 (mute
the side strings
with a couple of
rubber wedges).
Strike at the
same time F#34
(already tune)
and F#46. Tune
till you eliminate
all audible beats
and the two
notes sound as
a single one.
Then tune G47
in the same way
and carry on
tuning every
note towards the
upper end of the
keyboard. When
tuning the bass
section apply
the same
procedure.
Fifth step
General review
Review and test
what you have
just done so far.
Take special
attention to the
unisons as they
are the ones
that first go “out
of tune”. Try to
eliminate all the
audible beats or
at least get them
as beatless as
possible. A good
hammer skill
would be handy
at doing so.
Doing the stretch
It’s a matter of fact
that a piano sounds
better when its
upper section and
low section are
stretch. That means
that the high notes
(more or less the
last two octaves)
are tuned sharper
than theoretically
they should, and
the very low notes
tuned lower than
they also should be.
You could ask, why
is that? The reason
is that a piano
tuned in that way
simply sounds
better. That is
commonly
accepted, so an
experience
technician should
do what is called
“the stretch”.
The “stretch” is
tuned exponentially,
that means that the
stretching becomes
more and more
pronounced as you
advance up the
keyboard There are
theoretical tables
that allegedly
determined the
amount of “stretch”
for every key, but
that’s all. In this
matter like in many
others involving
piano tuning there
is not rule of thumb,
and in reality every
tuner do the
“stretch” at his/her
discretion. I think, to
be precise, when in
the lower notes the
stretch shouldn’t be
call that way, but
the “shrink”, as
that’s what really
happens.
To do the “stretch”
you will need some
practice and
experience. If you
are newbie to piano
tuning I don’t
recommend you try
doing the stretch, at
least not for now.
Just wait some time
till you are
reasonably
proficient.
Important
notice: Reproducti
on of this article (or
any other article
contained in this
site) in part or in
whole is strictly
prohibited, unless
permission is given
directly by the
copyright
owner. Contact
Juan Olalla
at
:info@howtotuneapi
ano.com
Has this tutorial
been helpful to
you? Do you have
any questions? You
are welcome to
leave a reply. Your
opinion and/or
suggestions are
highly appreciated.
Thanks
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Olalla 2011 All
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wtotuneapiano.com