From an actual conversation with a customer – Dec 2013
I arrived to tune the piano, only to find NOISY construction being done in the garage.
[Me] How soon will
they be finished making that noise?
[Customer] It should be a while. I didn’t think it would be a problem since you use an electronic tuner.
[Me] The mic on the electronic device needs to be able to hear the piano, too. If they can’t stop, I’ll need to come back later.
Point 1 – Yes, I started using an electronic device several years ago. But it uses a microphone to pick up sounds from the piano. This device makes part of the tuning easier and faster. But there is also part of the tuning that I can do faster and easier by ear. So the electronic device and I both need it to be reasonably quiet for tuning.
Point 2 – It’s tempting to schedule several services on your day off – but remember, vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, dish washers, TVs, stereos and even noisy conversations can make it difficult to do a good job when tuning your piano.