It
seems to me that piano tuning has at least three elements: Theory,
Craft and Art. The theory is everything from equal temperament
to the tests for intervals to how tuning pins and strings work to
how your ETD functions (if you use one) and much, much more.
Craft is the execution of a tuning using these theoretical underpinnings
in real time, working out the details; making sure the tuning is the
way you want it to be. The Art is the final part that transcends
the craft. It is how we use our personal expertise to make a
piano sound better than just technique would allow. I believe
it relies on Theory and Craft, but goes beyond these.
Other
aspects of piano technology have these elements too: regulation, voicing
and of course rebuilding.
It
is one thing to become proficient in the Theory and Craft of piano
work. It is often another to become an Artist. Time, experience
and the desire to keep growing are the catalysts for the transformation
to Artist.
I
certainly understand that this artistic aspect is not always what
is needed in the real world. When it is called for, this artistry
can add a new level of interest and challenge to our work.
