[Dixielandjazz] METHODS of PIANO TUNING

[Andy.Ling at Quantel.Com]

Janie Lynch asks :-
>
  Do those of you who play the piano prefer a manual "ear"
  tuning or the use of an electronic device for "perfect"
  accuracy? Or a combination of the two? And why?
>

I'm not sure about modern electronic tuners, but my Dad
had a go with one 20+ years ago. The piano was tuned perfectly
so all the little lights flashed correctly. Then came
the moment to play it - it sounded awful.

The problem is that the intervals are not perfect

Certainly use an electronic tuner to get the first note
correct and maybe to get the rest close, but I suspect
even with a modern tuner, you can't beat playing a few
chords and see how it sounds.

There is a sequence of chords which are used, involving
5ths, which cycle through all 12 notes. This can be repeated
over all the octaves to make sure everything sounds right.

Regards

Andy Ling