First of all, I would like to compliment this forum that gives us all the opportunity to compare ourselves and improve; I have been a piano tuner for several years but I am almost a self-taught person—I say "almost" because my tuning teacher left after a few months due to an incurable illness. In the early years, I relied on a TLA electronic device marketed by Renner, which among other things I paid a lot for in lire; at the time it seemed to be the best on the market, it has several expansions in memory and many types of historical tunings. It seemed to me that I had solved every problem regarding tuning; but one thing didn't quite add up from the beginning regarding the octaves, both high and low: it was very difficult to hit the type of expansion programmed in memory; since I enjoy playing Mozart and Chopin a little, as time went on, every time I tried the newly tuned piano, this matter of beats weighed on me more and more, and this dependence on the instrument also weighed on me. I performed thousands of calculations on equal temperament; for a very long time, I did not accept the conclusion that my ear was telling me something completely different that deviated from mathematics; I wanted to force mathematics to be right and I blamed my ear for being faulty, since I am no longer young and had approached the problem of tuning as I aged (over forty). But one fine day I ignored the instrument; using only a tuning fork and the correct key, going up by fourths and down by fifths (strings must always be tightened and possibly never loosened), I adopted the system that seemed most appropriate and correct to me (distribution of the octave: F below and F above middle C) and I found it worked very well. With this, I do not want to snub electronic instruments, but I advise never being dependent on them; as Mr. Paolo Ferrarelli rightly says, the ear is nonetheless the best and only Judge!!! A great, truly great compliment must be given to Paolo Ferrarelli for his tutorials, which I warmly recommend to many pianists!!!
Thanks Frank, I vented a little today because my path has been quite tortuous to get to tuning pianos the way I would have wanted from the very beginning. Anyway, I am of the opinion that we must always improve; along the way, I learned a bit of humility, which is always good, and which served me to listen to those who have clearer and more distinct ideas than mine and were therefore better than me. Best regards.
Thanks for the compliments Naza and Welcome! We are also quite close, so it's not out of the question that we might even meet, mutual commitments permitting. I am pleased by this passion of yours for Mozart; take a look at the Tutorials on piano technique where I talk about and analyze a sonata by the Great one. I have to record the Tutorial for the third movement, hopefully soon. Bye Paolo
hi Paolo, in fact it is my intention to meet you as soon as there are possibilities!!! (I am being a grandfather almost full-time....) I really like your way of explaining things with calmness and clarity; yours is a quality that is not easy to find and cannot be bought, you either have it or you don't!! Tuners often believe they know everything but it's not so because every piano is different from another even if it is the same brand and the same size, I personally have noticed that every piano responds differently to tuning; fixed rules do not exist. So if I manage to meet you, there is certainly something for me to learn. Then as far as Mozart and Chopin are concerned, they are my two idols, but consider that I am a self-taught person, I started over fifty years old and I play them alternatively within the walls of my home when I think I am not disturbing anyone. Anyway, I will certainly continue to follow your tutorials. Bye Naza.
