Methodology

The art of piano tuning has been refined since the invention of the Pianoforte in 1709. Thousands of piano technicians worldwide have devoted lifetimes of research and practice towards the goal of the perfectly tuned piano. Recently, electronic tuning devices (ETD) have emerged as an amazing tool to provide piano technicians with more information that they can use when tuning a piano. They are however, only tools. Techniques for aural tuning are still evolving. Methods developed by Rick Baldassin and Jason Cassel have empowered technicians to make better decisions when setting a piano's temperament by ear. There are also aspects of piano tuning that an ETD struggles with, namely; tuning unisons. Tuning a piano requires the use of an array of knowledge as well as practiced techniques which are mastered by a piano technician throughout their career. Drawing on a wealth of knowledge and an array of tools allows piano technicians to deliver exceptionally well tuned pianos to their clients. 

There is much debate over whether or not electronic tuning devices can give reliable and accurate information to a piano technician in order to set the temperament on a piano. They are a great tool, but they should only be used to gather information about the frequencies that each note creates when vibrating. They must be used in conjunction with a technician's understanding of harmonics, acoustics, temperament and tone. They provide information to the technician, which they can use to enhance their speed and accuracy when tuning a piano.

The Baldassin-Sanderson technique was first introduced by Rick Baldassin (RPT) in 1994, which utilises the fact that the harmonic scale can be split into a series of contiguous thirds. When playing parallel thirds, starting with a major third built of F3-A3, the beat rate between each set of thirds should increase steadily. This technique equips piano technicians with a quantifiable and repeatable method for ensuring the temperament has been set correctly, and that the harmonic content of each note lines up with other notes on the piano. 

It is uncommon knowledge that each note on a piano is made up of multiple strings. Most notes on a piano, are voiced by three strings. These strings must be in tune with each other, so that the note being played is true. While it is possible to use an ETD to tune all of the strings on a piano, a much better technique is to tune one of the strings first (setting your temperament) and then tune the other two strings to be in tune with that string (tuning your unisons). This allows the technician to make decisions that benefit the sound of the individual notes on a piano. Some strings, due to environmental damage, poor manufacturing or other factors can produce what are known as 'false beats'. These false beats are audible and interfere with the desired vibrations that a string creates. It is sometimes possible when tuning unisons, to tune them so that they effectively cancel out or mask these false beats, producing a pure tone and a better sound. This is something that must be done by ear, further bolstering the claim that piano technicians should tune piano's aurally. 

My technique combines aural techniques with the use of an ETD. Most of what I do when tuning requires the use of my ears, and my understanding of acoustics, harmonics and temperament. I will use an ETD to assist in setting a scale, and to help when doing pitch raises, but I check the temperament by ear, using the tonal quality of thirds, fourths, fifths and octaves. There are also different tests that can be used in the bass and treble sections of the piano, ensuring that particular harmonics from one note, line up with the same harmonics in another note. Sometimes an ETD will tell me that a note is tuned correctly, but when using various aural tuning techniques, I can hear that it is not. Over my career working as a musician, audio engineer and producer, I have combined the use of electronic tools with my own judgement based on what I can hear. One should always remember the golden rule of working with sound and music; trust your ears.

Sam Lilburn