Piano Tuning and Restoration has been as with most fields, profoundly affected by modern technologies; computers, software and tools that are used by tuners and piano craftsmen and manufacturers.
I originally was an “aural tuning die hard” back in 1989. I quietly spurned, dissed and generally looked down upon those who used “inferior” piano tuning methods and tools like the “Strobo-tuner”. Anyone who didn’t tune by “ear” was who I thought to be an inferior, “cop out tuner.”
I know, it sounds bad and of course I never mentioned it aloud to anybody but I was a little bit less mature at that time. I just thought it for sure to be the truth. After all, I had worked hard and passed the most rigorous and comprehensive aural tuning test that the Piano Technicians Guild had to offer, the test to become a “Certified Tuning Examiner.”
I am now 20 years later and have been for the past 18 years what is presently described as a “hybrid piano tuner.” Hybrid tuners are now fairly commonplace these days and may indeed represent the majority of piano tuner – technicians.
Back in 1989 there was already a substantially more accurate visual tuning device used by many techs – the Sanderson Accutuner II. A bit later the Reyburn Cybertuner came out and was the first Visual Tuning Software available to tuners.
Two of the main reasons I switched over from being an Aural Tuner to being a hybrid tuner was;
- I wanted to be able to get another perspective and means of evaluation of my work.
- Make my work easier. No one says it but there is a lot of guess work in piano tuning. Electronic tuning helps eliminate the guess work.
- I wanted the ability to easily tune historical keyboard intonations.
This is very interesting. Would like to read more.
You mentioned the Sanderson and the Reyburn. Which do you use?
I use the Reyburn Cybertuner. As it pertains to eliminating guess work, I will qualify that statement as “educated guess work.”