Piano tuning and tech. tips: 1. Putting unisons in tune. Stability + setting the pins
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- čas přidán 15. 03. 2023
- If you are an aspiring piano tuner, or a pianist who can't wait until his tuner comes to put a unison in, I hope this video will be helpful.
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Very helpful: This is how I got into tuning (but did play strings at school - where you make your own pitch)
- The annoying single string that spoilt the music; Oh! and that one; and the other one over there - a total distraction when playing.
- Pulling up unisons with the eBay tuning hammer (lever) was exactly how I started, and developed the 'feel' - it's never more than 1/16 of a turn
- Reading books plus your videos Marcus
- Now have case of piano tools + Wendle & Leung vintage lever - and a Peterson autostrobe 490-ST s t r e t c h tuner when tuning whole instrument
- Takes me an age: but each string gets proper attention
- The trick is setting the pin & relieving string tension so tuning doesn't slip: dropping down to pitch more reliable
- I do 3-4 pianos for friends: replace the odd broken hammer shank and bass strings
And do some general regulation.
Always learning !
Thank you for your thoughtful and encouraging comment as always. Marcus
Im a piano tech in-training, and i love your videos. Thanks for the help! ❤
Thank you for your kind and encouraging comment. Marcus
Great tip for you if you want to tune pianos without an electronic aid. The first 5ths are the most difficult. So, Get a C, G, D and A tuning fork. from A you have a 5th and a 3rd at E as a reference. (some customers think you're cheating with anything electronic. if you can do it with tuning forks they are very impressed). I started with just a C fork and setting the scale by ear.
@gaugeonesteam I'm terrible with tuning thirds, unfortunately, my ear always wants thirds to be perfect, and a third in equal temp always sounds unfortunate!
@@jamiibear Tune the 3rds up until just below they sound awful. and check with the major 6ths.
I have a very stubborn A5 on my Yamaha upright that seems to go flat the moment I removing the tuning lever it goes flat again. It sound like the pin is loose. It's always the first note to go out of tune. Fantastic video and very helpful.
For a reason I've never understood, I've found it's very often the right of the 3 strings that is flat. (I find 3rds and 6ths very useful for tuning).
Hi. Thank you for you video, it was very helpful. I only wanted to do the unisons in between normal tunings. I just have 1 question. Everything is in tune (good enough), but sometimes when I am playing, a note or two will sound much louder than the others. Like I am banging on it, but I'm using the same exact pressure. What could cause this, and is there a way to fix it? Thanks again...
I have a Yamaha upright and I’ve always fancied touching up the unisons when the beats start between tunings. I usually get it tuned every 6 months. Beats don’t seem to appear for at least 3 months, sometimes it starts meowing (if that makes sense) when getting close to the next tune if the weather has changed dramatically (Wales). I can’t decide whether it’s worth giving it a go.
We call it 'ringing' when a unison drifts
@@Freewheal Wow, never heard it called that before. At last, a proper name.
@@MadisonTen Well it's what we call it in our house!
Juist occasionally a slight drift in pitch can yield a surprising impact on overall tone.
- But I'd get a decent length tuning lever and wedges (felts / mutes) or a Paps wedge and try and 'touch in' the wandering strings
Haynes Piano Manual is a good resource on how to go about it..
I think it's worth giving it a go;
if it's just before the tuner comes then they can put right any errors. Marcus
@@RobertsPianos Thanks, Marcus.
Thank you for the tips. I have a question about setting the pins though for anyone who may be able to help. When you say "downward pressure", do you mean literally straight down, or downward but following the circular path of the tuning hammer?
#2
imagine a clock face. gently pull the lever in the direction of 1pm to 11pm or 2pm to 10pm. tuning is 50% ears and 50% using the tuning lever.
I tune with my own ears.🎹♫
I'm fine on unisons but would not attempt to do a complete equal temperament tune, my ear is not good enough to hear the beats. I have a wonderful tuner who has been tuning all his life now in his eighties (he tunes for the Bournmouth Symphony Orchestra) . He says electronic tuning aids are a waste of time! For him maybe, but what do you think?
They work for me!
- Peterson Autotune 490-ST for example
Thanks Steve for your comment. I think you're wise just to do unisons. With regards to tuning aids, it's true that if you have a developed ear then they don't really help; they're a bit like using a calculator instead of doing mental arithmetic! However, as a guide when pitch-raising, for instance, they can help. Marcus
The primary skill required to tune a piano is correct use of the tuning lever. This takes years of practice on hundreds of pianos. Hearing the beats, whilst difficult to begin with, can be achieved in approx 18 months (with tuition). Because there is a misconception that the primary skill is hearing, there are many people who buy tuning apps etc, thinking they are then on a par with professional tuners. They aren't.
Skills required: 20% is the hearing skill, 80% is the lever skill. Of course tuning the odd unison is ok with an app. but that's all really. Whenever I've watched a video of a non-tuner say they've tuned their own piano with an app, they either don't show us the end result, or when they do, it's awful.
Great tip for you if you want to tune pianos without an electronic aid. The first 5ths are the most difficult. So, Get a C, G, D and A tuning fork. from A you have a 5th and a 3rd at E as a reference. (some customers think you're cheating with anything electronic. if you can do it with tuning forks they are very impressed). I started with just a C fork and setting the scale by ear. but my point is beats of 3rds are so much easier to hear that 5ths. By E, you'll also have a 6th with G.. 6ths beats are also easy to hear. as fast as possible without sounding wrong.
I've never heard of a Knight piano in my entire life
English brand. - very good and very popular with piano teachers here in the UK.