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Hello to all- I'm currently in the middle of my tuning studies through the American School of Piano Tuning, and I've gotten stuck with learning to set the equal temperament.

I've been told that I need to make the investment in a Peterson AutoStrobe 490ST, and that it would help me learn to set the temperament while I'm learning to hear it by ear.

Is it worth it to invest in this tuner? Are there others that would be a better use of funding? Is there an easier/less expensive way to learn what I'm listening for and know it's accurate?

While I'm trying to figure that part out, I'm progressing on through the regulating and repair part of the course, but I would rather get the equal temperament down sooner rather than later.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time!

Is there a PTG chapter near you? Are you able to travel to attend a PTG regional conference or the National convention?

This is what I always have written about for so many years. Neither the strobe tuner nor the temperament sequence you have been given are the solution. Ditto the above.

I'm sorry that you've taken the bait on the American School of Piano Technology. I have never heard anything good about it. You really do get what you pay for. The Randy Potter program has more likelihood of successs especially if it is combined with some one-on-one mentoring and attendance to his hands-on seminars. But it requires a greater $$ investment.

Strobe tuners are actually a very interesting tool for measuring frequency. They are analog and so they give instant readings at the speed of light with no processing delays. You may have a certain amount of luck tuning well designed pianos with it. They are not going to do a great job of smaller pianos or oddly scaled pianos.

I second what Ed McMorrow says: A PTG chapter is going to be one of the best investments you can make in developing the craft. The tuning exam resource guide published by the PTG is one of the best resources on piano tuning available.

Good luck! Don't feel bad if the American School Doesn't work out. It's not an easy program to be successful with.

Consider software running on inexpensive widely available hardware instead of a dedicated analog hardware solution. I've just started with TuneLab on a laptop, there are others that run on cell phones or I-whatevers.

You could also try Entropy Piano Tuning software. Its free, it works and has been tested and used by quite a few here including myself.

http://tinyurl.com/hm3csml

Ian

Hi,
I studying for my exams, and here are a few recommendations so far:
1. Find a mentor. It's not just about tuning-- there are so many aspects of piano technology, and ways to damage a piano. There are many tools and methods now considered obsolete or simply destructive (although still sold by supply houses). There are business practices, weird pianos, symptoms of common problems, examples of former poor repairs...you need someone to show you all this. For example, many people now use the Spurlock key bushing system instead of the cauls sold in the supply houses. And many people no longer use the lead weights sold for regulating grand key height. I've not used a Peterson but was told they're obsolete. I use a Verituner, which is expensive, but I also have the suspicion that that's actually a marketing tool: when a customer or prospective see you using it, you can mention that it might be on a phone, but it's a sophisticated $600 piece of software. It's a little harder to demonstrate professional commitment to the lay person when you say you're using a free or cheap app...some might disagree, but I think it actually helps when customers see things like this or even a modern-looking carbon tuning lever.

Find a retiring RPT from whom you can buy tools and other equipment. You may save thousands, especially since many of the specialized tools are overpriced. I have many custom jigs and modified tools bought or given to me by a clever and experienced retired tech. I have good equipment I've borrowed from the local chapter that would be hard to find or expensive to get on my own, such as a jig for practicing stringing and splicing, and several grand and vertical action models. So much of this stuff is clever and homemade, but that would never occur to the average beginner tech.

As you transition to actually working on pianos, you need someone you can text a photo to: "help! What do I do about this?"
If there is no one to mentor you in your area, then move somewhere else. Although I've not tried a correspondence course, I am skeptical that it is the most efficient way to learn a complex craft such as this. It's like learning to be a fine pianist: those that really want to do it have an actual teacher sitting next to them instead of doing a correspondence course. And if there are no teacher, you move to where there is one. Or you don't become a fine pianist.

Some books out there are very good. Mario Igrec's Piano Inside Out is an ambitious attempt to better the Reblitz book, which many say is becoming obsolete. However, for basic repairs and regulation, I've found the Pace Lessons to be very good. Some other books I've picked up recently that I highly recommend:
Piano Technician's Guide to Field Repairs by Stephen Brady
On Pitch by Baldassin
Craft of Tuning by Levitan

All available on the PTG website. I've found Bill Bremmer's tuning sequence to be very useful, but I'm also exploring the Sanderson-Baldassin temperament.

As others have suggested, attending a PTG conference is invaluable, though you should have a good basic understanding of most tuning/technical concerts or the classes will be over your head.

If you buy an ETD (electronic tuning device) you won't learn to tune by ear or it will be much more difficult to you to learn aural tuning.

Have you tried Bill Bremmer's ET VIA MARPURG sequence?

IMO it's the best sequence for a beginner to learn to set ET.

But aural tuning is not only to tune the temperament octave, it is also to tune accurate octaves in the tenor, treble, high treble, bass and low bass, which is no obvious

Is American recommending the strobe tuner? Hmmmmm.