Are You Ready?
Test Yourself with a Mock Tuning Exam!
By Mitch Kiel, RPT
With Dave Carpenter, RPT, Dean Reyburn, RPT, Keith Kopp, RPT, Paul Sanderson and Bob Scott
Piano tuning has undergone a
profound transformation in the past
few decades. Just as computers have
changed our world, their digital offspring, electronic tuning devices (ETDs),
have revolutionized piano tuning as a
craft and profession. Before the 1980s,
almost every piano tuner tuned completely aurally, armed only with a tuning
fork, a knowledge of theory and craft,
and a keen pair of ears. Not any more.
According to the 2012 PTG Survey,
62% of us use an ETD always or most
of the time and 42% use an ETD as a
primary tool. (In the 2006 survey, 59%
and 38%.) These numbers are almost
certainly higher for newer members and
Associates. Whether you think this is a
good or bad thing, there’s no arguing
with the facts: About two thirds of us
use an ETD to tune pianos.
The 2012 Member Survey also asked
Associates, “What best describes your
reasons for not becoming an RPT?” The
#1 reason (39%) was, “I do not feel
prepared or am intimidated by the exam
process.” Third (25%) was, “I only tune
with an ETD.” Sixth (15%) was, “The
education and training to pass the exams
is not available on a local level.”
Clearly, there are lots of Associates
who use ETDs and who need help getting to, and through, Part 1 of the RPT
tuning exam, the aural portion. Many
smart people in PTG have been working long and hard on this problem, but
more needs to be done. Can we harness
the power of these ubiquitous ETDs to
help solve the very problem ETDs have
created?
A mock exam is an unofficial clone
of the RPT tuning exam that mimics its
procedures: detune a piano, tune it aurally, then measure and score it. A mock
exam yields results similar to a real RPT
tuning exam because it uses an ETD’s
RPT tuning exam scoring program, the
very same exam scoring program that
examiners use to score a real RPT tun12 Piano Technicians Journal / February 2014
ing exam. An exam scoring program
is already included in each of the four
most popular ETDs: Reyburn CyberTuner
(RCT), Sanderson Accu-Tuner (SAT),
TuneLab, and Verituner.
A mock exam differs from an RPT
tuning exam in some very important
ways. A mock exam is unofficial and
voluntary; it is unregulated by PTG’s
Examination and Test Standards Committee (ETSC); its results are not reported to
PTG and do not affect your membership
status; it is intended only for teaching
and skill assessment; it doesn’t need a
Certified Tuning Examiner (CTE) or RPT
to administer or interpret; and it does
not require an official master tuning
(more on this later). Mock exams need
no oversight, no paperwork, and no
travel to an exam site. You can give a
mock exam to yourself or your student
anywhere as often as you want, all for
free. All you need is a decent piano, an
exam-approved ETD, and a mock exam
procedure for your specific ETD.
You can give yourself a mock exam
in the privacy of your own home. The
results are yours to keep private or share
as you choose. You can e-mail or phone
your mentor with your resultant scores
(final or points off per note). If you take
a series of mock exams over time, weekly
or even daily, your changing scores can
tell you (and your mentor) if your lesson plan is effective. Rising scores will
raise your confidence, energize your
practice sessions, and help you know
when you’re ready to successfully challenge the RPT tuning exam. (See David
Pritchard’s story.)
ETD exam scoring instructions were
originally written for trained CTEs to
administer the RPT tuning exam under
highly regulated conditions, and are
not easily adapted to mock exams by
non-CTEs. Happily, the developers of
the four exam-approved ETDs [Dave
Carpenter (Verituner), Dean Reyburn
(RCT), Paul Sanderson (SAT), and Bob
Scott (TuneLab)] have all written new,
simpler procedures specifically for mock
exams for this article.
An RPT exam requires an official
master tuning, a lot of work. Without
a master tuning, an RPT tuning exam is
impossible. So how can we get a master
tuning into a mock exam? Answer: Create your own Mock Master.
Everyone who uses an ETD has
already, maybe thousands of times,
sampled and calculated a tuning on a
customer’s piano, tuned it, listened to
the results, and deemed it good enough
to ask for money. Can this sampled and
calculated tuning be our Mock Master?
While it may not be a perfect imitation of
a true master tuning, it’s almost certainly
close enough for a mock exam, especially
on a well-scaled grand piano. Many RPTs,
including some very fussy aural tuners
doing high-end concert work, know
first-hand that ETDs can calculate very
good tunings. Exam scores of ETD tunings confirm this.
Mock exams will help more Associates successfully challenge the tuning
exam, eliminate the need to “take the
exam to find out if I’m ready to take the
exam,” raise the exam’s pass rate and
increase the number of RPTs. They can
help mentors become more effective
teachers, encourage long-time RPTs to
confidentially re-assess their own aural
skills, inspire more RPTs to become CTEs,
and move PTG forward as an organization.
Mock exams are not a cure-all. They
can’t take the place of personalized
training by a talented teacher and long
hours of finger-blistering practice. A
mock exam can simply show you your
current location and the distance to your
goal of passing the RPT tuning exam.
That journey still requires hard work and
commitment. But with mock exams in
your tool kit, you no longer have to feel
like you’re driving around lost in the dark
with no headlights.
The RPT Tuning Exam
The RPT tuning exam is currently
organized into two parts.
Part 1 is aural-only (no ETDs) and
includes three sections: A4 Pitch, Temperament, and Midrange (C3 to B4).
It’s well known that Part 1 is where examinees tend to have the most trouble,
especially those who started with ETDs
and lack training and experience with
aural tuning.
Part 2 may be tuned either aurally or
with an ETD, and includes five sections:
Bass, Treble, High Treble, Stability, and
(aural) Unisons.
Passing the RPT tuning exam requires
a score of 80 or higher in each of these
eight sections.
There are multiple skills needed for
Part 1:
1) Aural Creation (first pass): temperament sequence, extended into the
midrange; rough tuning; ballpark.
2) Aural Refinement (second pass):
hearing, finding, and fixing errors,
worst first, repeat as needed; strategically planning at least three moves
ahead; predicting consequences on
other connected intervals before
moving one note; reconciling expectations with results; note voting;
no fast beating octaves, fifths, or
fourths.
3) Aural Polishing (final pass): supersmooth rate of change of parallel
fast-beating intervals; consistent
beat/whoosh sound in slow-beating
intervals, especially fifths; in the field
this might include string fitting and
voicing; concert level; obsessive;
implies perfect unisons.
These three skills require different
techniques and degrees of listening. The
first two are probably necessary for passing the exam at 80; the third can take you
to infinity and beyond. Many examinees
need lots of help with the second skill,
aural refinement.
Dean Reyburn suggests:
“For Part 1, go through your temperament/midrange sequence a maximum
of two or three times, 15 to 20 minutes.
At that stage, don’t start fixing small
errors as you find them. Instead, listen
for the largest error and fix it, then fix
the next largest error. Repeat until your
45 minutes are up. About five years ago
I tutored my son Nate, a North Bennet
Street School student who could almost
but not quite pass Part 1. I worked with
him on and off all afternoon, including
three mock exams. He was very fast at
his temperament sequence and had excellent stability. When he got to the end
of his sequence he knew it wasn’t good
enough, so he went through his temperament again. And again. Sometimes
it got better, sometimes it got worse. He
was chasing his tail, repeating the same
process and expecting different results.
Not a very effective strategy.
Teaching him to fix the big one first
solved his problem before dinner time.”
A Few Core Principles
PTG’s RPT tuning exam is based on
a few core principles: A master tuning is
aurally tuned on each individual exam
piano by a committee of three RPTs, at
least one a CTE. This might take four to
six hours or more, sometimes stretching
into the next day. The master tuning is
then measured and saved on an ETSCapproved ETD and as a permanent paper
record privately held by the local examiners and ETSC. When an Associate wants
to take an RPT exam, the examiners
detune the piano, the examinee tunes it,
and that tuning is then measured by the
examiners with an ETD and mathematically compared to the master tuning. The
difference between the examinee and
master tunings is used to compute the
examinee’s scores. Scoring math is a little
complicated. It includes pitch correction
averaging, cents deviation, tolerances,
points off, and sectional multipliers.
Some examiners do this computation
manually; most prefer to use an ETD’s
exam scoring program.
When ETSC approves an ETD for use
in the RPT tuning exam, its accuracy for
pitch measurement and its exam- scoring
logic have been verified as meeting ETSC
standards. ETSC does not inspect or pass
judgment on an ETD’s tuning creation
module; in other words, ETSC takes
no position on the quality of an ETD’s
sampled and calculated tunings, including whether those calculated tunings are
accurate, sound in tune, or resemble a
master tuning.
ETSC requires exam pianos to be
grands 5’9” or longer, with plain wire
trichords down to C3 or lower, wellregulated and voiced, etc. The closer
your piano is to this standard, the closer
your mock exam will match an actual RPT
tuning exam. But it’s OK to take a mock
exam on any decent piano you can use.
A Technician’s Experience
We moved to Lynchburg, Virginia
on July 1st and I headed to the PTG
convention in Chicago on July 9th and
took the tuning test. Unfortunately, I
did not pass Part 1, but passed Part 2
easily. I tried two more times while in
Chicago, but my scores actually got
worse each time.
Around the first of October, I
started doing a mock exam almost
every day. It was great being able to
see exactly how I would score as if it
were a real RPT exam. After a week,
I was passing every day with scores
in the 80s. Another week and I was
getting some 90s. Another week I
was consistently getting 90s every
time. I even received a score of 100 a
couple times on the temperament. I
went ahead and scheduled my Part 1
retake tuning exam and kept doing a
mock exam daily.
When I went to take my RPT exam
on November 2nd, I wasn’t a bit nervous because I knew I had passed my
mock exam about 20 times in a row. I
took the test, passed easily, and gave a
big sigh of relief. I had become an RPT.
David Pritchard, RPT
Roanoke VA Chapter
February 2014 / Piano Technicians Journal 13
iRCT Mock Tuning Exam
By Dean Reyburn, RPT
This procedure describes how to use iRCT (Reyburn CyberTuner for Apple iOS devices) to take a mock exam for
Part 1 of the RPT tuning exam (A4 pitch, temperament, and midrange). With slight differences as explained in #12
below, this procedure also works for Part 2 (bass, treble, and high treble).
1. On a piano in fairly good tune at A440, mute the strings so only one string per note is open for the 24-note
midrange from C3 to B4.
2. Start iRCT
and tap Tunings icon (lower menu bar).
Tap Open (upper right).
If there’s already a prepared exam file with a master tuning, open the file and skip to step 5.
3. Tap the Plus button (lower tool bar).
Set Exam to checked. Name this file something like
“YourName’s Mock Exam Today’s Date.” Tap Save (upper right).
The Open Files window will appear. (Your new file is listed
alphabetically and already selected.) Tap Tunings (upper left).
You’ll see all the exam tuning records: Examinee Part 1 (EE1), Points (POI),
Master (SUP), Difference (DIF), Detuning (UUU), A4 Pitch, Test Adjusted, and
Examinee Part 2 (EE2).
Tap Chameleon icon (lower left).
4. In Chameleon, sample the As as usual. Try to get low variances, .15 or lower.
Use Easy mode or RPT Exam tuning style for Parts 1 and 2.
Tap Calculate. This new tuning will become your mock exam’s master tuning.
A message will appear telling you the tuning
you just created was copied to the correct
places. Tap OK.
5. Tap Tunings icon. Tap the little Spinner icon located to the
left of Detuning (UUU). CyberEar will open. Start at C3 and
detune up to B4 by tuning each note to match the Spinner.
6. And now it’s mock exam time! Turn off your iRCT device. Now, aurally tune A4 to your tuning fork and midrange notes
C3 to B4. The RPT exam’s time limit is 45 minutes. In a real RPT tuning exam, A4 pitch is measured within the first
five minutes in Part 1, but for this mock exam, we’ll measure A4 at the end.
7. When your time is up, turn on your iRCT device. Tap Tunings icon.
Tap the Spinner icon for A4 Pitch.
CyberEar will open with A4 pre-selected. Tap the (left) Listener Ear located near the Tune box
which will initiate auto-recording, as indicated by the flashing rings around the spinner. Play A4,
sustaining the note until the spinner is completely filled in, about three seconds. Your A4 score will
be displayed in the Score box (center right). Verify the accuracy of the measurement by playing A4
again; the spinner should blush. If not, repeat auto-measuring: tap the Listener Ear, play A4, and
verify the re-measure. Repeat as needed until you achieve your best blush. It’s usually not
necessary, but you can manually adjust the tune box setting by 0.1 cent by swiping up or down in
the spinner target area. Use a two finger swipe for a 1.0 cent adjustment.
14 Piano Technicians Journal / February 2014
As your A4 pitch is recorded, CyberEar displays your final pitch score immediately. 80% passes.
A. Listen
B. Verify
C. Save
8. Tap Tunings icon.
Tap the spinner icon next to Examinee (EE1) Part 1.
CyberEar will open and C3 will be selected. Tap the left Listener Ear
and play the selected note, repeating the procedure as described in
step 7 until you get a good blush. When you’re satisfied, tap Save
Cents (the button with a piano icon and the word “Save,” located
near the tune box's Listener Ear). CyberEar will automatically
save the tune box reading for the selected note, then switch up
to the next note up and initiate auto-measuring. Play the note,
verify its auto-measure, and tap Save Cents. Continue up to B4.
9. After measuring and saving cents for all notes, tap the Mode button. (It reads, “RPT Exam.”)
In the RPT Exam area, tap the Score button.
Select the lowest note of your temperament octave. (For most people it’s F3.)
Tap Score Part 1.
A chart will open with your points off for each note.
To see your final scores, tap Final.
(To pass the real RPT tuning exam, you need 80%
or better in all sections.)
10. Tap Chart. Tap on any note with points off.
(Recommended: Start with the biggest error,
highlighted in red.)
Select Aural Tutor. A customized explanation of the error
and three suggested aural checks will appear. Tap each
aural check to see an explanation of the note’s problem
(what sounds wrong and why), its solution (which
direction to move the note and how the aural check
should sound when the note is correct) and the test note
that’s used by the aural check interval.
Points Off Chart
Final Scores
11. You can re-tune a few notes and re-score. Re-measure
and save only those notes and re-score your tuning.
(Tip: After tapping the Save Cents button, cancel automeasuring for the next note up by tapping the left
Listener Ear.)
12. If you’re taking the exam entirely aurally, you should take a Part 2 mock exam too. It’s almost the same
procedure as Part 1, but with minor differences. Steps 1 to 5 are the same. At step 6, tune from C1 to B7. In a real RPT
tuning exam, Part 2 does not score midrange C3-B4 or temperament, but temperament is measured. (Retuning the
midrange is optional.) If you’re doing a Part 2 mock exam you should always tune those notes too. The real exam’s time
limit is 60 minutes. In step 8, measure and save C1 to B7, including your temperament, into the EE2 tuning record. In step
9, tap RPT Exam, Score button, and score Part 2. Part 2 in the real RPT tuning exam also includes unisons and stability, but
those two sections are relatively complicated and therefore not normally included in a mock exam.
February 2014 / Piano Technicians Journal 15
13. If you’re learning a temperament sequence, try CyberEar’s Aural Temperament tuning mode which can be
programmed for any aural sequence. An excellent temperament for the exam is a two-octave A-to-A temperament.
For more info see www.reyburn.com/temperament.
14. For more info on iRCT, its RPT tuning exam program, and to check for updated versions of its mock exam
procedure, see www.reyburn.com/irctsupport.
15. Pocket RCT (for Windows Mobile) has an RPT tuning exam program which differs substantially from iRCT's
and therefore requires a different mock exam procedure. See www.reyburn.com/prctsupport for details.
Quick Scoring Sheet for the Mock Tuning Exam
For programs that do not complete the score, you must calculate your score. “Points” in the program must be entered
below, totaled and multiplied by a given multiplier, and subtracted from 100 to give the final score on midrange and
temperament.
Pitch
Any value within 3 cents (+ or -) of 440Hz is a passing score.
Temperament
Enter the points for
your 13-note temperament. Multiply the total by 2.5 and
subtract from 100.
OCTAVE
3
4
Midrange
Enter the points for
the two-octave midrange.
Multiply the total by 1.5 and
subtract from 100.
OCTAVE
C
C
C#
C#
D
D
D#
D#
E
E
F
F
F#
F#
G
G
G#
G#
A
A
A#
A#
B
B
16 Piano Technicians Journal / February 2014
3
4
Using the Sanderson Accu-Tuner (SAT) to Score a Mock Exam
By Keith Kopp, RPT
There are five basic steps in using the SAT to help
you determine if you are ready to challenge the PTG
tuning exams.
A. Establish a master tuning
B. Trial tuning
C. Record your tuning
D. Score your tuning
E. Aural verification
A. Establish a master tuning
1. If at all possible work with a piano that meets the
guidelines of the PTG exam. The piano should
be at least 5’9” in length and have plain wire
trichords from at least C28 up. The piano should
be well prepared with no major problems. Mute
the piano with only one string open, notes C1 –
B7.
2. Tune the piano From C1 to B7 using either the
FAC tuning program procedure as found in the
SAT manual or the Jim Coleman, Sr., “One Stretch
Number Measurement for Tuning.”
3. Record this tuning as a master tuning as follows.
Use the PAGE down button to get to the super
tuning page SUP1, which is the page three steps
below zero. Step note up to C1. Carefully read this
note by playing the note and stopping the rotation
of the LEDs with the CENTS buttons. (The correct
partial will automatically be used.) When the LEDs
are stopped, hold down SHIFT and press STO-MEM
(release STO-MEM first, then release the SHIFT button last) to store the reading. Then the note will
automatically advance one semitone. Repeat this
process until the whole tuning is stored (C1 to B7).
It would be good to record the tuning numbers on
a record sheet that you can refer back to.
B. Trial tuning
1. Detune the piano using the PTG detuning procedure as follows. Press PAGE DOWN until you
see UUU (Untuning) in the CENTS display, step to
C1 and tune by stopping the lights. Continue to
detune the entire piano this way, or only the midrange section if this is all you want to test.
2. Do your trial tuning. Do a complete aural tuning
C1 – B7 or an aural tuning of the midsection note
C3 to B4 and a SAT tuning of the remainder of the
piano.
C. Record your tuning
Store your tuning on the EXAMINEE PAGE as follows. Use the PAGE DOWN buttons to the first page
below zero (EEE). Use the same procedure as storing
a super tuning. Set the NOTE and OCTAVE readings
to indicate the note to be stored. Play the note and
stop the rotation of the LEDs with the CENTS buttons.
When the LEDs are stopped, hold SHIFT and press
STO-MEM to store the reading. The note will automatically advance one semitone, ready to store the
next note. Repeat this process until the whole tuning
is stored.
D. Score your tuning
1. Store the temperament octave. The examinee must
state his or her choice of temperament octave.
Set the NOTE and OCTAVE to the lowest note of
the temperament octave of your choice and store
by holding SHIFT 2 and pressing STO TMPT.
2. Score the exam. Hold the SHIFT 2 and press the
SCORE button. The display will go to the starting
NOTE and OCTAVE of the chosen temperament
octave, and the CENTS display will indicate the
POINTS scored against that note. A zero indicates that the note is within tolerance; any other
number is the point score. The absence of a sign
indicates that the note is sharp, and a minus sign
indicates that the note is flat. To score the remaining temperament notes, press the NOTE-UP button
and watch the CENTS display. If you hold down
the note up or down button, the note will continue to advance as long as there is a zero point
deduction. When a note is reached that is out of
tolerance, the display halts. Release the button
and write down the points in the proper NOTE and
OCTAVE box on a score form. Use the OCTAVE
and NOTE buttons to go to the next notes you
want to score. That probably would be the remaining notes from C1 – B7. Read them in the same
manner that you scored the temperament octave.
3. Enter points in the score form and calculate final
score. A score of 80 is needed in each of the five
areas to pass. Round the score off in favor of the
examinee.
o
Additional notes
There has been a question if special adjustments
are needed to be made because the PTG exam instruction is to tune “good clean octaves” in the top octaves. It has been proven that if the basic procedures
are used as outlined above to compare a SAT tuning
to a good master-tuned piano, the score could be as
high as 100% without doing any modifications.
February 2014 / Piano Technicians Journal 17
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to Settings
and tap
current
tuning
as...as...
Fill Fill
Go in
back
to
Settings
and
tap
on Save
current
tuning you
as...that
Fill in
the
name
of
the
saved
tuning
in
a
way
that
reminds
in the name of the saved tuning in a way that reminds you that it is it is
the
name
of
the
saved
tuning
in
a
way
that
reminds
you
that
it is
serving
as
master
tuning,
as
on
the left.
Go
back
to aSettings
andastap
onshown
Save
current
tuning as... Fill
serving
as a master
tuning,
shown
on the
left.
serving
a master
as shown
on the
in theasname
of thetuning,
saved tuning
in a way
thatleft.
reminds you that it is
serving as a master tuning, as shown on the left.
Detune
Piano
(optional)
Detune
the the
Piano
(optional)
Ifpiano
the piano
is
not particularly
well-tuned
already,
you might
the
Piano
(optional)
IfDetune
the
is not
particularly
well-tuned
already,
you might
wantwant
Detune
the
Piano
(optional)
to skip
this
step
formock
the mock
exam.
However
the exam
real
exam
the
piano
is not
particularly
well-tuned
already,
you
might
want
toIf skip
this step
for the
exam.
However
in theinreal
your
piano
will
be
detuned
in
the
following
manner
to
ensure
If
the
piano
is
not
particularly
well-tuned
already,
you
might
want
to skip
thiswill
step
the mock
However,
real exam
your
piano
befor
detuned
in theexam.
following
mannerintothe
ensure
you you
don't
get
any
freebies,
so
if
you
want
the
full
exam
experience,
toget
skip
this
step
mock
exam.
in
the to
real
exam you
don't
any
freebies,
sothe
if you
the However
full exam
experience,
your
piano
will
be for
detuned
inwant
the
following
manner
ensure
take
the
time
to
formally
detune
the
piano
as
follows:
your
piano
will
be
detuned
in
the
following
manner
to
ensure
you
take
theget
time
to freebies.
formally detune
thewant
pianothe
as follows:
don't
any
So if you
full exam experience,
don't
anytofreebies,
if you want
the full
experience,
take
theget
time
formallysodetune
the piano
asexam
follows:
Go
to
the
PTG
Tuning
Exam
page
as
you
did
above,
but time
this time
take
the
time
to
formally
detune
the
piano
as
follows:
Go to the PTG Tuning Exam page as you did above, but this
Pre-exam
detuning
switch.
Go
to
the
main
tuning
turn
on
the
turn on the Pre-exam detuning switch. Go to the main tuning
page
and
roughly
tune
the page
piano
using
toroughly
the
PTG
Tuning
Exam
pageas
asyou
youdid
didabove,
above,but
but this
this time
page
andthe
tune
theExam
piano
using
GoGo
to
PTG
Tuning
time
TuneLab.
As
you
tune
you
should
see
the
turn
on
the
Pre-exam
detuning
switch.
Go
to
the
main
tuning
TuneLab.
As
you
tune
you
should
see
the
turn on the Pre-exam detuning switch. Go to the main tuning
detuning
offsets
displayed
with
ausing
reddish
page
and
roughly
tunethe
thepiano
piano
detuning
offsets
displayed
with
a reddish
page
and
roughly
tune
using
background
as
shown
on
the
right.
These
TuneLab.
As
you
tune
you
should
see
the
background
asyou
shown
onyou
the right.
TuneLab. As
tune
shouldThese
see
the
offsets
will
change
for
every
note
so
that
detuning
offsetsfor
displayed
with athat
reddish
offsets
will offsets
change
every note
detuning
displayed
withso
a reddish
Tuning
Exam
the
average
offset
taken
over
all
notes
is
near
zero.
After
detuning,
go
back
toPTG
the PTG
background
as
shown
on
the
right.
These
the
average offset
taken on
overthe
allright.
notes isThese
near zero.
After
detuning,
goevery
back to
the
Tuning
Exam
background
as
shown
offsets
willautomatically
change for
note
so
page
and
turn
on
Exam
capture
mode
.
This
will
turn
off
the
detuning
switch.
offsets
will
change for everyoffnote
so
that switch.
page
and average
turn on Exam
mode
. This
automatically
thego
detuning
that the
offset capture
taken over
all notes
iswill
near
zero. After turn
detuning,
back to the PTG Tuning
the average offset taken over all notes is near zero. After detuning, go back to the PTG Tuning Exam
Exam
page
and
turn
on
Exam
Capture
Mode.
This
will
automatically
turn
the detuning
page and turn on Exam capture mode. This will automatically turn off theoff
detuning
switch. switch.
Your
Tuning
Do Do
Your
Tuning
Turn
off TuneLab
anditput
it away.
the midrange
B4 using
TurnDo
off Your
TuneLab
and put
away.
TuneTune
the midrange
notesnotes
fromfrom
C3 toC3
B4tousing
youryour
best best
auralaural
Tuning
Do
Your
Tuning
technique.
Tune
with
the
strip-muting
in
place.
technique. Tune with the strip-muting in place.
TurnTurn
off TuneLab
andand
putput
it away.
Tune
thethe
midrange
your best
bestaural
aural
off TuneLab
it away.
Tune
midrangenotes
notesfrom
fromC3
C3to
to B4
B4 using
using your
technique.
Tune
withwith
thethe
strip
muting in in
place.
technique.
Tune
strip-muting
place.
Capture
Your
Tuning
Capture
Your
Tuning
After
you have
done your
tuning,
TuneLab
on.notIfalready
not already
set from
before,
AfterCapture
you have
done
auralaural
tuning,
turn turn
TuneLab
backback
on. If
set from
before,
load load
the the
Youryour
Tuning
After you have done your aural tuning, turn TuneLab back on. If not already set from before, load the
18 Piano Technicians Journal / February 2014
Capture Your Tuning
After you have done your aural tuning, turn TuneLab back on. If not already set from before, load the
master tuning
mode
on.on.
ForFor
each
note
thatthat
you you
tuned,
selectselect
that note
master
tuningand
andturn
turnExam
Examcapture
Capture
Mode
each
note
tuned,
thatand
note and
master
tuning
and
turn
Exam
capture
mode
on.
For
each
note
that
you
tuned,
select
that
note and
capture
your
tuning
as
follows:
capture your tuning as follows:
capture your tuning as follows:
Tap on
on the
the Lock
thethe
left)
to turn
on on
Tap
Lock button
button(shown
(shownonon
left)
to turn
master
tuning
and
turn
Exam
capture
on.
note that you tuned, select that note and
Tap
on the
Lock
button
(shown
onmode
the
left)
toFor
turneach
onon
Locking
Mode
so
that
the
screen
looks
like
the
picture
Locking
Mode
so
that
the
screen
looks
like
the
picture
capture
your
tuning
as
follows:
Locking
Mode
so
that
the
screen
looks
like
the
picture
on
the
right.
The
Lock
button
turns
into
a
red
stop
sign.
Play
the right. The Lock button turns into a red stop sign. Play the note
onyou
theTuneLab
right. The
button
turnsthe
into
a red(shown
stop sign.
Play
the note
tuned.
TuneLab
will
adjust
offset
you
tuned.
willLock
adjust
the
offset
(shown
here
ashere
-3.63)
Tap
on
the
Lock
button
(shown
on
the
left)
to
turn
on
the
note
you
tuned.
TuneLab
will
adjust
the
offset
(shown
here
as
-3.63)
to
match
your
tuning.
Keep
playing
the
note
until
the
to match your tuning. Keep playing the note until the progress
Locking
Mode
so
that the
screen
looks
likenote
picture
as -3.63)
to match
your
tuning.
Keep
playing
the
the
progress
barabove
directly
above
the
current
note
display
inthe
theuntil
bar
directly
the
current
note
display
(C3
in (C3
the
picture)
fills
on
the
right.
The
Lock
button
turns
into
a
red
stop
sign.
Play
progress
bar
directly
above
the
current
note
display
(C3
in
the
picture)
fills
in
completely.
As
soon
as
it
does
fill
in,
tap
on
the
in completely. As soon as it does fill in, tap on the stop sign to
the
note
you
tuned.
TuneLab
will
adjust
offset
(shown
picture)
fills
in
completely.
soon
as
it the
does
fillcan
in,
tap
onhere
the
stop sign
to
cancel
Locking
Mode.AsAlternatively,
use
cancel
Locking
Mode.
Alternatively,
you
can
useyou
manual
offset
asoffset
-3.63)
match your
tuning.
Keep
playing
the note
until
the
stop
signadjustments
to cancel
Locking
Mode.
Alternatively,
youleft
can use
manual
instead.
This
is
done
by
swiping
adjustments instead. This is done by swiping left or right through
progress
bar
aboveinstead.
theRegardless
current
display
(C3 in the
offset
adjustments
Thisnote
isofdone
by swiping
left
or rightmanual
through
thedirectly
Phase
Display.
which
the Phase Display. Regardless of which method you use, once a
picture)
fills
in completely.
Asachieved
soon Regardless
as itfordoes
tap on the
rightuse,
through
Phase
of in,
which
methodor
you
once
athe
solid
lockDisplay.
is
the fill
note,
tap
solid lock is achieved for the note, tap in the yellow Exam Mode
stop sign
to cancel
Locking
Mode.
younote,
can tap
use
method
you
use,
once
a solid
lockThis
is Alternatively,
achieved
Exam
Mode
offset
box.
will addfor
thethe
offset
in the yellow
offset in
box.
This
will
add
the
offset
that
was
just
developed
onto
the
manual
offsetExam
adjustments
instead.
ThisThis
is done
by
left
Mode
offset box.
willnote,
addswiping
the
the
that was
justyellow
developed
onto
the custom
offset
for
this
andoffset
custom
offset
for
note,
and
itthe
willcustom
alsoRegardless
turn
the
Exam
Mode
or
right
the
Phase
Display.
ofthis
which
was
just
developed
ontobackground
offset
for
and
it will that
also
turnthrough
thethis
Exam
Mode
from
yellow
to note,
background
from
yellow
to
green
to
indicate
that
the
capture
is
youthat
use,
once
a solid
lockbackground
is
for the
note, to
tap
itmethod
will
also
turn
the
Exam
Mode
from
yellow
green to
indicate
the
capture
is done
forachieved
this note.
done for
thisto
note.
Exam
offsetisbox.
will note.
add the offset
in the
yellow
green
indicate
thatMode
the capture
doneThis
for this
thatrelevant
was just
developed
ontocaptured,
the custom
offset
for this note, and
After all
notes
have been
save
the resulting
itbywill
also
the
Exam
Mode
background
from
to
all
relevant
notes
have
been
captured,
the
resulting
tuningAfter
giving
itturn
a new
name.
Go
to Settings
andsave
tap
onyellow
green
to
indicate
that
the
capture
is
done
for
this
note.
tuning
by
giving
it
a
new
name.
Go
to
Settings
and
tap
on
Saveall
tuning
as...
, giving
thebeen
tuning
a new name
indicate
this is your aural tuning. You now have two
After
relevant
notes
have
captured,
savetothe
resulting
Save
tuning
as...
,
giving
the
tuning
a
new
name
to
indicate
tuning
files
stored
–
a
master
tuning
and
your
captured
aural
tuning by giving it a new name. Go to Settings and tap on Save this is your aural tuning. You now have two
After
relevant
have
been
captured,
save
thethis
resulting
files
stored
–tuning
a master
tuning
and to
your
captured
aural
tuning.tuning
tuning
as...,all
giving
thenotes
a new
name
indicate
is your aural tuning. You now have two
tuning
by giving master
it a newtuning
name. and
Go to
Settings
and tap
on tuning.
tuningtuning.
files stored—a
your
captured
aural
Save tuning as..., giving the tuning a new name to indicate this is your aural tuning. You now have two
tuning
files
stored – a master tuning and your captured aural
Score
your
tuning
tuning. your tuning
Score
Go to Settings, select PTG Tuning Exam, and tap on
Score
tuning
Goyour
toreport
Settings,
select
PTG
Tuning
, and
tap on
Generate
. This
will
prompt
you Exam
to select
your
Go
to
Settings,
select
PTG
Tuning
Exam,
and
tap
on
Generate
report
. Thison
will
select Generate
your
temperament
octave,
as shown
theprompt
right. you
The to
temperament
Score
your
tuning
Report.
This
will
prompt
you
to
select
your
temperament
octave,
shown on the
right. The temperament
octavetemperament
is used in theoctave,
scoringascalculations
to compensate
for any
as
shown
onSettings,
the
right.
The
temperament
octave
is used
in the
Go
to
PTG
Tuning
Exam
tap on
octave
is
used
inselect
the
scoring
calculations
to, and
compensate
for any
overall
offset
between
the
master
tuning
and
your
tuning.
After
scoring
calculations
to
compensate
for
any
overall
offset
between
Generate
report
. This
prompt
to your
select
your
overall
offset
between
thewill
master
tuning
tuning.
After
you have
selected
which
octave
you
want
to you
beand
used
for this
the
master
tuning
and
your
tuning.
After
you
have
selected
which
temperament
octave,
as
shown
on
the
right.
The
temperament
youtap
have
selected
octave
you
to be
for this
purpose,
on the
pick which
master
button
towant
proceed
toused
selecting
octave
youtuning.
want
toonbe
used
for
this
purpose,
tap
on thetopick
octave
is tap
used
inthe
the
scoring
calculations
to
compensate
for any
purpose,
pick
master
button to
proceed
selecting
the master
master
button
totuning.
proceed
the master
tuning.
overall
offset
betweento
theselecting
master tuning
and your
tuning. After
the
master
which octave
you
to be with
used the
for stored
this tuning files. Select the master
When you have
tap onselected
pick master
you will
bewant
presented
purpose,
pick
master
button
to 650
proceed
towith
selecting
youtap
tapononthe
pick
master
you
will be
presented
theThen
storedtap
tuning
files.report
Selecttothesee
master
tuningWhen
that was
prepared
earlier
(Master
Kawai
in this
case).
on view
the
thescoring
master
tuning
that tuning.
was prepared
earlier
(Master
Kawai
650 in this case). Then tap on view report to see the
resulting
might
look
something
like this:
When
you tap onreport
pick that
master
you
will
be presented
with the
resulting scoring report that might look something like this:
stored tuning files. Select the master tuning that was prepared
When you tap on pick master you will be presented with the stored tuning files. Select the master
earlier (Master Kawai 650 in this case). Then tap on view report to see the resulting scoring report
tuning that was prepared earlier (Master Kawai 650 in this case). Then tap on view report to see the
that might
lookscoring
something
resulting
reportlike
thatthis:
might look something like this:
The first section on page 20 shows the stretch offsets for your aural tuning that you captured. The second section
shows the stretch offsets for the master tuning. The last section shows the difference between your tuning and the
master tuning. In this case all the notes from C1 to B7 were scored. But if you capture only the notes from C3 to B4,
just ignore the portions of the report that deal with notes outside of this range. The points deducted from a perfect
score are shown as the numbers just after the difference numbers. In the example above there were two points
deducted for C3, D#4 and F#4, and a few one-point deductions for other notes.
February 2014 / Piano Technicians Journal 19
EXAMINEE TUNING
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
C
-6.4
-2.4
0.7
0.1
0.8
5.1
11.9
C#
-8.2
-1.6
0.0
0.0
2.0
3.7
12.6
D
-8.8
-3.3
0.3
-1.0
0.6
4.4
13.8
D#
-6.8
-6.4
-1.4
-1.2
0.1
5.0
15.1
E
-7.0
0.7
0.0
0.9
1.0
5.6
15.7
F
-5.1
0.3
0.4
1.4
1.7
6.6
20.0
F#
-6.1
-7.9
-0.4
3.9
3.3
6.5
19.8
G
-4.0
-4.3
2.0
1.3
2.9
6.5
20.9
G#
-0.8
1.4
0.9
2.7
3.4
8.2
24.0
A
-7.1
-0.9
0.8
2.6
3.4
9.0
26.6
A#
-5.9
-1.7
2.4
4.1
3.9
9.0
28.2
B
-2.4
-2.7
1.7
3.6
4.2
12.5
29.8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
C
-9.0
-4.7
-1.8
-0.4
0.5
3.5
11.1
C#
-8.5
-4.4
-1.5
-0.1
0.7
3.9
12.1
D
-8.1
-4.1
-1.1
0.1
0.9
4.3
13.3
D#
-7.7
-3.8
-0.8
0.4
1.1
4.7
14.6
E
-7.3
-3.6
-0.4
0.6
1.3
5.2
16.1
F
-6.9
-3.3
-0.1
0.9
1.5
5.7
17.6
F#
-6.6
-3.1
0.3
1.2
1.7
6.3
19.4
G
-6.2
-2.9
0.7
1.5
2.0
6.9
21.3
G#
-5.9
-2.6
1.0
1.8
2.2
7.6
23.4
A
-5.6
-2.4
1.4
2.1
2.5
8.4
25.7
A#
-5.3
-2.2
1.9
2.5
2.8
9.2
28.2
B
-5.0
-2.0
2.3
2.8
3.1
10.1
31.0
4
5
6
7
MASTER TUNING
DIFFERENCE AND POINTS (C3-C4 ADJUSTED BY -0.5)
1
2
3
C
2.1
1.8
2.0 2
0.0
-0.2
1.1
0.3
C#
-0.2
2.3
1.0 1
-0.4
0.8
-0.7
0.0
D
-1.2
0.3
0.9
-1.6 1
-0.8
-0.4
0.0
D#
0.4
-3.1 1
-1.1 1
-2.1 2
-1.5
-0.2
0.0
E
-0.2
3.8 1
-0.1
-0.2
-0.8
-0.1
-0.9
F
1.3
3.1 1
0.0
0.0
-0.3
0.4
1.9
F#
0.0
-5.3 1
1.1
-0.3
-0.1
G
1.7
-1.9
-1.2 1
2.2 2
0.8
-0.7
0.4
-0.9
-0.9
G#
4.6
3.5 1
-0.6
0.4
0.7
0.1
0.1
A
-2.0
1.0
-1.1 1
0.0
0.4
0.1
0.4
A#
-1.1
0.0
1.1 1
0.6
-0.7
-0.5
2.1
-1.2
0.3
0.6
1.9
-1.7
B
0.0
-1.1 1
Using Verituner to Score a Mock Tuning Exam
By Dave Carpenter, RPT
Create your Master Tuning
First, you will use the Verituner to create your master tuning. This tuning is normally
created carefully by a committee of three RPTs on your exam piano, but for the
purposes of the mock exam, the Verituner will create the tuning for you.
1.Create a new standard tuning file as usual, leaving Style set to Average, and
Temperament to Equal.
2.Mute the outside strings with a strip and tune the midrange (C3-B4) of the piano,
single strings only, using the normal Verituner tuning procedure.
3.Go back the Verituner’s startup screen, swipe out the right-hand side menu, and
tap on Measured to access the Measured Tunings folder list.
4.Tap on the blue arrow to the right of the Master folder, then tap on the [ + ] button
to create a new master tuning file. This file will contain the single-partial tuning
according to PTG exam specifications.
5.Type a filename that identifies the piano, and leave the other settings as they are.
6.Change the Verituner to note C3. Tap on Measure, and then immediately play the
note C3. The cents offset that was measured will be displayed above the partial number.
7.If the spinner is stopped, the note has been measured accurately. If necessary, you can improve the measurement manually with the [ - ]
[ 1 ] [ + ] buttons.
8.Tap on Store to save the note.
9.Repeat the measurements for all remaining midrange notes. The file is automatically saved as you go.
Detune the Piano
To best simulate the condition of the exam piano before you begin your aural tuning, you will want to detune the midrange. The PTG exam
specifies an alternating equal pattern of flat/sharp detuning to eliminate the need for a pitch adjustment.
1. With your master tuning still loaded, swipe out the left-hand side menu and tap on Detune.
2. For each midrange note, a detune amount will be displayed (+ or – 4 cents).
3. Tune (actually, detune) each note until the spinner stops. Don’t spend a lot of time getting each note perfect.
Tune Aurally
Now it’s your turn! Put away the Verituner and tune the midrange aurally, single strings only. Note that for this part of the PTG exam you will
be given only 45 minutes, including the time you need to set A4 from your tuning fork.
Measure Your Tuning
To score your tuning, you first need to measure each note and store it in the Verituner.
1. Go back the Verituner’s Startup Screen, swipe out the right-hand side menu, and tap on Measured to access the Measured Tunings folder list.
2. Tap on the blue arrow to the right of the Examinee folder, and tap on the [ + ] button to create a new Examinee tuning file.
3. Type a unique filename that includes your name or initials, and leave the other settings as they are.
4. Change the Verituner to note C3. Tap on Measure, and then immediately play the note C3. The cents offset that was measured will be
displayed above the partial number.
5. If the spinner is stopped, the note has been measured accurately. If necessary, you can improve the measurement manually with the [ - ]
[ 1 ] [ + ] buttons.
6. Tap on Store to save the note.
7. Repeat the measurements for all remaining midrange notes. The file is automatically saved as you go.
Score Your Tuning
Now the Verituner will compare the master tuning to your examinee tuning so you
can see where there are differences. The Verituner will calculate points according to
the PTG exam specifications.
1. With your examinee tuning still loaded, swipe out the left-hand side menu and tap
on Score.
2. Verify that the master tuning is set to the same file where you stored your master
tuning. If not, tap on Master and select the appropriate file.
3. Tap on Temperament and then use the [ < ] or [ > ] buttons to select the temperament
octave you used in your aural tuning. Use F3 if you are not sure.
4. Note the Pitch Correction Number (PCN) is displayed. This is a feature of the PTG
exam that compensates for the overall pitch of your temperament, so that you are
only scored for how well the piano is in tune with itself.
5. Tap on Note and use the [ << ] [ < ] [> ] [ >> ] buttons to move among the various
notes of the midrange. The double-arrow buttons will skip only to notes where you have lost points.
6. For each note, both the Difference and Points are displayed (in cents). The Difference shows how far you were off from the master tuning
(in cents). The Points shows you how many points you lost on that note.
7. To calculate your midrange score, add up the points from the 24 midrange notes (but ignoring the minus signs when you add), multiply the
total by 1.5 and then subtract from 100. You will need a result of 80 to pass the midrange.
8. To calculate your temperament score, add up the points from the 13 temperament notes (but ignoring the minus signs when you add),
multiply the total by 2.5 and then subtract from 100. You will need a result of 80 to pass the temperament.
Rinse and Repeat
Most importantly, try again! Once you have stored your master tuning, you can repeat the procedure starting with the detune steps and try
to improve your score. Use the scoring display to identify those notes with large differences, and then use your aural troubleshooting skills to
find why you made a mistake. Then, rinse and repeat!