Music Trade Review

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PRACTICAL PIANO TUNING
By ALEXANDER HART
Formerly with Steinway & Sons Tuning Department, Instructor in
Piano Tuning, Teachers College, Columbia University, N. Y.
Registered Member of the
National Association of Piano Tuners
Notes of Interest on Tuning
Procedure for Tuning a
Circle Fifths and Octave
Place the Keyboard Chart behind
the black keys and follow the numbers
religiously that are on the white and
from Cl to C3, viz, the last string
tuned was E—, and if we tuned E—
above instead of E— below, being the
octave, we would find ourself out of
the circle, instead of inside it.
Should you find yourself without a
then octave above. Next tune F (13)
natural from A # (12) then octave
below. Note: When arriving at F # we
continually raised each fifth one half-
tone, consequently the F had to be
raised to it. We call it E#. Next to
Practical Piano-lunind KeiiLoarct C h d j t
U
FIRST C
BELOW MIDDLE C
black keys. Viz, tune No. 1 to fork,
No. 2 to Middle C, then C below xNo. 3.
The sign under " 3 " denotes last string
tuned. Next tune G-4 from C-3, then
tune the octave abo\>e marked " 0 " .
Next tune No. 5 from G-4, then
the octave below.
Next tune string marked "A" (6)
from D below just tuned, then the
octave, also marked by the letter " 0 " .
Next tune E (7) from A (6), then
octave below. Note: It is not difficult.
Follow this routine of tuning a circle
of fifth and octaves. Our goal is to keep
these intervals within the boundary
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, OCTOBER, 1954
FIRST C
ABOVE MIDDLE C
Chart and you have only your keys on
the piano for guidance. Use this for-
mula, (a) When tuning the interval of
a fifth, count 8 half-tones, (b) When
tuning octaves, count 13 half-tones.
To continue with our Tuning, next
tune B (8) a fifth, from E below, just
tuned, then the octave above.
Next tune F # (9) another fifth from
B (8), then octave above, next tune
G # (11) from C # (10) another fifth,
then octave, then Gqff above. Next tune
D # (11) another fifth from G # be-
low. Then the octave below. Next tune
A # (12) from D # (11) a pure fifth,
by
-rlI CoPYRICrHT
19
54
or F natural octave below. From
we return to our original starting
point which was C natural, now it's
B#.
Suggestion for Practice Period:
Don't be in a hurry. Try to make
the demonstration whether the interval
is a unison, a fifth or an octave.
Don't try experimenting on pianos
not your own.
Don't be without a tuning fork.
Don't try to raise the pitch one-half
tone when strings are rusty {turn over)
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