

                                                         CHAPTER 4-1
                               CHAPTER FOUR
        
                         TUNING THE REMAINING "75"
        
        
             The temperament has been set and we must now proceed to 
        tune the rest of the piano by tuning BEATLESS OCTAVES.
        
             On  the  surface, it seems that octave tuning  will  be 
        relatively simple compared to setting the temperament, since 
        our goal is to just tune all octaves up and down beatless.
        
             This  is true up to a point, and that point begins  for 
        most of us when we get above D-54 or below C-28.  There  are 
        numerous reasons for this problem, and the situation  varies 
        from one piano to another.
        
             When  you reach the point in the treble or  bass  where 
        you  are  hearing harsh or false sounds, you  must  rely  on 
        certain tests to ensure the octave is properly tuned.  There 
        are many tests available and tuners must understand and  use 
        them  on  every tuning.  Do NOT rely solely  on  the  octave 
        interval.  You will find this insufficient.
        
             Please read this entire chapter before beginning  prac-
        tice.
        
        
                            MUTE ENTIRE PIANO
        
             I  recommend you mute the entire piano as a first  step 
        for  all tunings.  This is simply to use your muting  strips 
        and  individual  mutes to mute off all but one string  of  a 
        note.   The  previous explanations on how to use  the  mutes 
        should be sufficient except for possibly a couple of points.  
        The top note (C-88) usually cannot be muted off in the  same 
        way as the other three string notes.  You will have to place 
        a  mute between the left and center string or the right  and 
        center  string.  Also, on the other ends of the  middle  and 
        treble  sections  (on some pianos) you may have  to  do  the 
        same.
        
             Pianos  are strung differently, so there is no one  way 
        to mute a piano that will work for all.  The important thing 
        to  remember is that only ONE string per note  should  sound 
        when  a key is struck.  When you are tuning a note  that  is 
        muted off differently, be aware of which tuning pin you  are 
        turning.   It  is easy to place your hammer on a  muted  off 
        string out of habit and turn it until the string breaks.  If 
        you  ever  turn a tuning pin and hear no difference  in  the 
        sound, always check to see if you are on the right pin.
        
             I usually use two muting strips to mute off the  treble 
        and  tenor sections (three string sections)  and  individual 
        mutes  for  the ends of these sections and  the  bass.   The 
        correct way to insert the muting strip is to use either  the 
        end of a wire rubber mute or a screwdriver to push the  felt 





                                                         CHAPTER 4-2

        between  the  strings.   Make sure you make  the  fold  high 
        enough so the middle string is not muted.
        
             The  only problem you may have is in using  the  muting 
        strip  on the lower part of the extreme upper section.   The 
        dampers  must be pulled back and the strip inserted  between 
        them and the strings.  Push on the right (sustain) pedal and 
        also help with your hands to accomplish this.  Care must  be 
        taken to not tear off any damper felt.
        
             After  you have muted the entire piano, play each  note 
        and ensure that only one string is sounding and you have not 
        somehow muted off all strings of a unison by not making  the 
        loops in the muting strip high enough.
        
             Now, you can proceed to tune the remainder of the piano 
        by  tuning  beatless octaves.  The first octave to  tune  is 
        C#-41  to C#-29.  Then tune all octaves up until  you  reach 
        C-52.   Then tune all the notes from B-27 to the  bottom  of 
        the piano.  Return to C#-53 and tune up the entire scale.
        
             Keep  in mind that since the temperament was  set  from 
        C-28  to C-40, When you tune octaves up and down  the  piano 
        you  are automatically adjusting the temperament  by  tuning 
        BEATLESS  OCTAVES - C# to C#, D to D, D# to D# and so  forth 
        up  and  down.  If this still sounds confusing,  review  the 
        beginning chapters once again.
        
             I  will now present numerous octave tests and you  will 
        have the opportunity to decide which ones appeal to you  and 
        serve you best.
        
             ONE WORD OF CAUTION!  Don't bog yourself down by  using 
        more tests than necessary.  You may find a normal 90  minute 
        tuning turning into over two hours very quickly.  Tests  are 
        necessary  and must be used, but try to find a happy  medium 
        between too few and too many.  It will come WITH TIME - With 
        Time - with time...
        
        
                   TESTS WITHIN THE OCTAVE BEING TUNED
        
        Refer to Appendix A while studying the following examples.
        
        A)   When  tuning B-27 from B-39, you can compare  the  beat 
        rates  of the MAJOR THIRD G-35 to B-39 and the  minor  sixth 
        B-27 to G-35.  They should be the same.
        
        B)   The minor third B-27 to D-30 will beat the same as  the 
        MAJOR SIXTH D-30 to B-39.
        
             Also,  the  FOURTH/FIFTH test explained  previously  is 
        very helpful between F-33 and C-52.  This test requires that 
        in  any octave, a perfect fifth above a perfect fourth  will 
        beat  the  same as the fourth.  EXAMPLE:  C-28  to  F-33  (a 
        perfect  fourth) will beat the same as F-33 to C-40 (a  per-
        fect fifth).
        






                                                         CHAPTER 4-3

             The  tests described so far can be used in any  octave, 
        but unfortunately they become increasingly less useful  when 
        reaching the high treble and the low bass.
        
             The  FOURTH/FIFTH test is usually effective above  F-33 
        and below C-52.  This will vary from piano to piano.
        
             The  minor  third/MAJOR SIXTH test described  above  is 
        useful between C-16 and C-64.  When tuning DOWNWARD, if  the 
        minor third beats FASTER than the MAJOR 6th, the lower  note 
        of  the  octave is sharp.  If the minor third  beats  SLOWER 
        than  the  MAJOR 6th, the lower note is  flat.   Conversely, 
        when tuning UPWARDS, if the MAJOR 6th beats faster than  the 
        minor  3rd,  the upper tone of the octave is sharp.   If  it 
        beats slower, the upper tone will be flat.  In other  words, 
        the two intervals should have the SAME BEAT RATE.
        
        
               TESTS EXTENDING BEYOND THE OCTAVE BEING TUNED
        
        MAJOR THIRD/TENTH TEST
        
             A  very  good test in tuning up to C-64  is  the  MAJOR 
        THIRD/TENTH TEST.  For example, if you are tuning G-35  from 
        G-47, the interval from D#-31 up to G-35 will beat the  same 
        as  the  interval (tenth) D#-31 up to G-47.   IF  the  tenth 
        beats  faster  than the MAJOR THIRD, the upper note  of  the 
        octave  is  sharp.  On the other hand, if  the  tenth  beats 
        slower than the MAJOR THIRD, the upper note of the octave is 
        FLAT.   This test is similar to the minor third/MAJOR  SIXTH 
        test in that the beats of the intervals are alike.
        
             This  test is useful when tuning downwards by  ensuring 
        that the beats of the descending tenths become SLOWER as you 
        proceed towards the bottom of the piano.
        
        
        USING DOUBLE OCTAVES
        
             When  tuning in the upper treble it is useful to  check 
        your  upper note by comparing it with the note  two  octaves 
        below.
        
        
        OCTAVE TENTH TEST
        
             When tuning the high treble, another useful test inter-
        val is the OCTAVE/TENTH.  This is simply the tenth  extended 
        by an octave.  This test is applied in exactly the same  way 
        as  the MAJOR THIRD/TENTH test.  EXAMPLE:  When tuning  C-64 
        to  C-52 you would compare the beat rates of G#-36 and  C-40 
        with the beat rates of G#-36 and C-64.  They should beat the 
        same, in this case, approximately 8 C.P.S.
        
             This test is also useful in tuning the low bass in  the 
        same  way as the MAJOR THIRD/TENTH test - by  listening  for 
        gradually decreasing beat rates as you descend.
        
        





                                                         CHAPTER 4-4

        OCTAVE/MINOR SEVENTH TEST
        
             One  more  test to use in the extreme low bass  is  the 
        OCTAVE/minor seventh test.  
        
        EXAMPLES:  
             C#-29 down to d#-7  = 5      beats per second
             A-25 down to B-3    = 4      beats per second
             G-23 down to A-1    = 3 1/2  beats per second
        
        
                                   TIPS
        
        
        TREBLE TUNING
        
             When tuning the upper treble, you must be aware of  the 
        fact  that  the tone will fade rapidly after the  string  is 
        struck.   It  is sometimes necessary to  strike  the  string 
        repeatedly and loudly to overcome this problem.
        
             FALSE  BEATS are prevalent in the treble  beginning  as 
        low  as D-54 and continuing upwards.  Some pianos will  have 
        many, others very few.  Refer to the section on false  beats 
        (below).
        
             The  extreme upper treble can be tested by running  two 
        octave  arpeggios up to the note being tuned in addition  to 
        the double or triple octave tests.
        
        
        BASS TUNING
        
             Elsewhere in this course we discussed the fact that the 
        upper partials of a fundamental are not necessarily  equally 
        tempered,  but  the tuned piano IS.   Therefore,  since  the 
        upper  partials of the low bass notes are low  enough,  they 
        will  clash  with higher notes on the keyboard and  WIll  be 
        heard.
        
             It  is for this reason that we tune the low bass  notes 
        to the TEMPERED intervals of the TENTH (octave and a  third) 
        and  the SEVENTEENTH  (two octaves and a third).  Also,  the 
        interval  of a TWELFTH (octave and a fifth) can be  used  in 
        the same way, although the twelfth will beat so slowly as to 
        almost  seen beatless.  This makes it a good test to  ensure 
        you are not way off course.
        
        
                               FALSE BEATS
        
             You have been taught to tune unisons and octaves  beat-
        less and of course this is the goal.  However, you will find 
        that even though you have muted off all but one string of  a 
        unison,  that one string will sometimes produce  beats  when 
        struck.   It may be the center string, or either of the  two 
        outer strings.
        






                                                         CHAPTER 4-5

              If  you  have  ten piano  technicians  discussing  the 
        problem of false beats, you will probably have ten different 
        solutions  to the problem.  Solving this problem  is  beyond 
        the  scope  of this course, but coping with the  problem  is 
        something you will have to do.
        
             False  beats usually occur anywhere above  C-52.   When 
        you  are tuning a unison and one string of the unison  beats 
        when sounded alone, your only recourse is to tune the  other 
        strings  of  the  unison so the least amount  of  beats  are 
        audible when the note is struck
        
             The higher the quality of the piano, usually the  fewer 
        false beats are present.  However, I must say that as of now 
        (1991)  I have been tuning pianos for over 30 years  and  in 
        can  recall  very few pianos that were  completely  free  of 
        false beats.  One was a concert grand and the other surpris-
        ingly was a medium priced console.
        
             Causes for false beats are many,  so I will only list a 
        few of the most common.
        
             1.   A twist or kink put in the wire on stringing
             2.   Faulty bridges and/or bridge pins
             3.   Wire of uneven thickness
             4.   Rust on the strings
             5.   Poor scaling
        
             This  is a problem you will live with  throughout  your 
        tuning  career.  You now know how to detect false  beats  so 
        you must learn to compensate as best you can.
        
             Just  remember,  if you are trying to tune  a  beatless 
        unison,  and  you simply cannot stop the beats,  check  each 
        string of the unison and see if a false beat is there.
        
        
                           BASS STRINGS BUZZING
        
             Occasionally, you will find a definite buzz when tuning 
        a  bass string.  This buzz is usually a result  of  improper 
        installation or a break in the copper winding.

             Rather  than immediately replacing the  string,  loosen 
        the  tension enough to slip the bottom of it off  the  hitch 
        pin.   Then twist the loop a full turn in the  direction  in 
        which  the winding points.  Replace the string on the  hitch 
        pin and tune.  If the buzz is still there and you can deter-
        mine  that it is not coming from another source, you  should 
        replace the string.
        
             Follow the instructions in chapter six and remember  to 
        twist  the  bottom of the string as described  above  before 
        tuning.  It will save having to do it a year or two later.










                                                         CHAPTER 4-6

        In this chapter, you learned:

        1.  How to mute the entire piano
        2.  Tuning tests to use within the octave being tuned
        3.  MAJOR THIRD/TENTH TEST
        4.  Double octave test
        5.  Octave tenth test
        6.  Octave/minor seventh test
        7.  Important tips on treble tuning
        8.  Definition of "False Beats"
        9.  Why bass strings sometimes "buzz" & how to stop it

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