1

Manual of the Art of Tuning Your Own Piano

Yourself
deduced from rigorous principles of acoustics and harmony;
A work useful to all people who are occupied with music, and especially
those who spend part of the summer in the country.

By C. Montal
Former teacher at the Institute for Blind Youth, founder of the course in
tuning, and tuner for the most celebrated professors of the Conservatory.
net price 2 francs
in Paris, at J. Meissonier, publisher, merchant of music, rue Dauphine, no,
22 and from the author, rue Poupe, no. 11
1834 [Translated by Fred Sturm]

This manual is an extract from a work on the same subject that I am preparing for
publication. I intend this little work particularly for people who dont have time to
devote to study, and, assuming that they already know the principles of music,
and a little about the interior of the piano, I have neglected to speak of those
subjects, and have only covered succinctly the details of my method, focusing
only on the partition and counter partition, which, I believe, are entirely my own,
both in the path that I follow and in the proofs that I use, and which have
consistently given me happy results with all the students to whom I have taught
them. Up until now, it seems that people have done all they could to keep the art
of tuning from being popularized. The partitions that have been given to the
public, containing no sort of explanation, and all being based on more or less
absurd principles, are composed most often of a bizarre mixture of ascending
and descending fifths, which form a labyrinth in which everybody gets lost.
That being the case, is it any wonder that of all musicians, only pianists imagine
that they cant tune their own instrument!

Chapter 1
Correspondence of the tuning pins with the keys of the keyboard, etc.
The first difficulty facing people who wish to tune their own piano consists in
finding the correspondence between the tuning pins and the keys of the keyboard
to which they belong; however, nothing could be simpler, as will be seen by what
follows:
Each string is held at one end by a tuning pin that serves to raise and lower its
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pitch.
The tuning pins are placed obliquely two by two or three by three for each unison,
depending whether the piano is double or triple strung; i.e., the first string, that is
among bass strings of the piano, corresponds to the first tuning pin on the left of
the group, the second string to the next tuning pin, and so forth.
The relationship of each group of tuning pins with the corresponding key of the
keyboard is indicated by one of the first seven letters of the alphabet A, B, C, D,
E, F, G designating the notes la, si, do, re, mi, fa sol; the same notes when
sharped are indicated by the same letters accompanied by the sharp sign.1 . So
the chromatic scale is indicated in the following way: la, A; la-sharp A#; si B; do
C; do-sharp C#; re D; re-sharp D#; mi E; fa F; fa-sharp F#; sol G; sol-sharp G#;
la A; etc.
In square pianos, the groups of tuning pins are placed two by two in the same
oblique line; thus, these lines are composed of four or six pins, depending on the
number of strings in each unison. The la of the tuning fork, in these pianos, is in
the seventh group to the right, descending, i.e., the third marked with the letter A.
The tuning hammer is a tool used to turn the tuning pins.
The wedge mute is a piece of felt about half and inch wide and two inches long,
narrowed on its two sides toward one of its ends, which you place between the
strings to damp them, so as to leave only the string you want to tune free to
vibrate.

Chapter 2
Temperament, the perfect chord, just and appropriately tempered.
You must begin the study of tuning by training the ear to recognize the perfect
justness of unisons, octaves, fifths, fourths, major thirds, the perfect chord, and
the six-four chord in three parts, contained in figure 1, as well as others that can
be chosen as you wish.
The piano would be easy to tune if you only needed to recognize just intervals,
but that is not the way it is.
Tuning a piano requires us to reduce to twelve the 35 tones of the physical scale;
that is the source of the difficulty.
The physical scale, used by the voice and by flexible pitched instruments like the
violin, the bass, etc., is made up of 35 tones, while in fixed pitch instruments, like
the piano, the scale is composed of only twelve different tones, made by the
seven white keys and the five black ones. This obliges us to find mean semi-
tones, which make the difference between diatonic and chromatic semi-tones
disappear. We know that musicians divide the interval of a whole step into nine

1 Makers do not use flat signs to label tuning pins; they only use sharps.
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equal parts called commas; we also know that the sharp raises a tone by five
commas, and the flat lowers it by the same quantity. Thus, from C to C-sharp, a
chromatic semi-tone, there are five commas; from C-sharp to D-natural, a
diatonic semi-tone, there are only four; from D-natural to D-flat, a chromatic semi-
tone, there are again five commas; from D-flat to C-natural there are no more
than four. (See fig. 2).
You can see then that since from C to D-flat there are only four commas, and
from C-natural to C-sharp there are five, C-sharp and D-flat are not the same
thing, and different from one another by one comma. However, there is only one
key on the piano to give the two tones, and consequently it is necessary to alter
both to obtain two mean semi-tones, each composed of four and a half commas.
Mean temperament is the name given to the operation consisting of reversing in
a uniform way the alteration of certain intervals, so as to divide the octave into
twelve equal semi-tones, which makes all the tones equally just, or more
precisely equally false; for none must be rigorously just, but only tolerable.
The process of creating this alteration needs only focus on the three
consonances: the major third, the minor third, and the fifth. All other intervals will
be found tempered naturally. Only the octave must be rigorously just, the major
third wide,2 the minor third and the fifth narrow. From this it follows that their
inversions will be altered in the contrary direction, i.e., the minor sixth will be
narrow, and the major sixth and fourth will be wide. (See fig. 3)
The alteration of the other intervals is entirely subordinate to those of the
consonances we spoke of, and we neednt worry about them.
Major thirds must be wide, so that the three thirds CE, EG# or A-flat, and A-
flatC will make a just octave; because if all three are just, the octave will be
narrow. The minor third must be narrow so that CE-flat, E-flatG-flat or F-sharp,
F-sharpA, AC make a just octave instead of one that is too wide.
We narrow the fifth by lowering its upper tone, in such a way that four ascending
fifths3 CG, GD, DA, AE will make with C, the point of departure, and having
lowered the E by two octaves, a major third that is neither too wide, nor just, but
tolerable; i.e., it must have the same width as one of the three that form the just

2 A wide interval is one in which the two tones forming it are a little farther from

one another than they should be, whether by raising the upper tone to make it
farther from the lower, or by lowering the lower note without changing the upper.
For the same reason, a narrow interval is one in which the two tones comprising
it are a little closer to one another, whether by lowering the upper note to make it
closer to the lower, or by raising the lower note without changing the upper.
3 Ascending fifths are those in which the upper note is tuned to the lower one;

descending are those in which the lower note is tuned to the upper. In all the
figures in this work, the black notes indicate the notes to be tuned, and the whites
are those that serve as a basis for tuning the others.
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octave. (See fig. 4).

In the same way, if we tune the fifths narrow by raising the lower note - as in AD,
DG, GC, CF - the F of the fourth fifth will make with A, the point of departure,
lowered two octaves, a major third FA as wide as the CE produced by the four
ascending narrow fifths.
After having understood these changes, you should exercise your ear to temper
the perfect chord CEG, first by narrowing the fifth CG, raising the C only so
much as to disturb the perfect justness of the fifth, and then tuning the E to the C,
so as to obtain a wide CE third, as we have indicated, and the entire chord C
EG must be very tolerable.
After the key of C, you should practice equally in other keys (see fig. 5). You
should apply this also to tuning the tempered six-four chord, widening the fourth
GC and the third CE so that the entire chord GCE is quite tolerable. And the
same for other keys (see fig. 6).

Chapter 3
Partition
The term partition is applied to the sequence and the means by which we create
the temperament in about an octave and a half around the middle of the
keyboard.
The fifth is the interval that works best for creating the partition, because of the
ease with which the ear can hear the different nuances of alteration we need to
give it.
My partition is made from an uninterrupted series of twelve descending narrow
and equally tempered fifths, of which the last rejoins the first, and which for that
reasons forms the harmonic circle. (See fig. 7).
This succession of uninterrupted descending fifths is much preferable to all the
sequences used up to now for creating a temperament; its proofs serve as a
guide during the course of the operation and present themselves naturally. Each
fifth, being narrowed by raising the lower note without interrupting the movement
of the tuning hammer, allows the ear to hear the impression of the just fifth that
serves as a standard of comparison, from which to introduce the proper degree
of alteration.
The proofs I use to guide the ear in the partition are the major third, which is very
sensitive to change, the fourth, the perfect major chord in three parts, and
especially its second inversion, the six-four chord, in which the major third, being
on top, dominates the other parts and makes it easier to perceive the alterations
introduced into it.
I divide the partition into three parts composed of four fifths each, of which you
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can find a table in fig. 8, with the proofs in musical staves, labeled with their
correct alterations. The first staff gives the fifth to be tuned, the second the
fourths to be used as proofs, the third the major thirds, the fourth the chords, and
the fifth the successions of three major thirds forming the octave, which are the
infallible proofs of a well made temperament. The same number, appearing
above each measure, designates, in this table, the interval of the partition and the
proofs found beneath, so as to make their relationship clear.
To execute the partition with the proofs contained in the table, you must proceed
in the following manner:
1) Place the wedge mute above the two strings which give the A of the tuning
fork marked by the number (1) in the partition, and which corresponds to the
fourth A of the keyboard, counting from bottom to top. Tune the free string to the
fork, or to the pitch you choose. Then remove the mute and tune the second
string to the first.
2) Place the mute above the two strings of the A below, marked by the number
(2); then tune the free string rigorously just to its octave, already tuned, playing
them together several times. Then remove the mute, tune the second string to
the first, and play it again with its octave to be sure that it hasnt gone out of tune.
3) Place the mute above the two strings of D (3), which is a descending fifth to
the A of the fork. Tune this fifth rigorously just, after which you will narrow it a little,
only so much as to disturb the purity of the fifth by a very light beating. Play the
wide fourth (3) AD, to see if it has the same degree of harshness as the fifth (3)
DA. Then remove the mute, and tune the second string to the one you have just
tuned. Play the fifth and its inversion the fourth alternately, to assure yourself
once again that these two intervals are tempered equally.4
4) Tune the fifth GD (4), first just, then narrow it to the same degree as the fifth
DA.
5) Tune the octave GG (5), play the wide fourth DG (5) alternately with the fifth
GD, to see that both of them have the same degree of harshness.
6) Tune the fifth CG (6) just, then narrow it to the same degree as DA; play the
fourth GC alternately with the fifth CG to be certain that they are equally
tempered.

4 In this sequence of fifths, which should be learned by heart, you can see that

you often tune up an octave, so that the fifths will remain beside one another in
the middle of the keyboard where the strings are less likely to go out of tune.
Henceforth, to shorten the following explanations, I will no longer give detailed
instructions concerning the three operations for each unison: place the mute
above the two strings, then tune the string that is free, then remove the mute and
tune the second string to the first. I will simply say, Tune the note, and this will
imply these three operations.
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7) Tune the fifth FC (7) just, then temper it like DA; play the major third FA,
which must neither be just nor too wide, but tolerable, i.e., wide to the same
degree as one of the thirds that form the octave. Then play the perfect chord F
AC, to judge the sound of those notes together, which must be a bit harsh. This
third FA, produced by the first four fifths, is an important proof to see how well
you have done so far: if it is too just, the fifths have been too tempered; if, on the
contrary, it is too wide, the fifths have not been tempered enough. You must then,
in either case, start over, but first play each of the first four fifths in the following
order: DA, CG, GD, DC, to see if they have been tempered equally, and if
the bad result came from too much or not enough alteration of all four of the first
four fifths, or only from one of them.
8) Tune the octave FF (8), play the wide fourth CF (8), which must have the
same degree of falsity as the fifth FC, then play the six-four chord CFA, which
must be harsh but tolerable, and in which, the major third, being on top, the ear
can judge the degree of alteration better than in the chord FAC.
Here ends the first part of the partition. If up to now you have done well, the
greatest difficulty has been overcome. You only need to continue, and you are
nearly certain to end well.
9) Tune the narrow fifth F-naturalA-sharp, which we call B-flat, play the wide
fourth FB-flat, the wide third B-flatD (9), and the six-four chord FB-flatD,
which must have the same degree of harshness as the chord CFA (8).
10) Tune the octave A-sharpA-sharp (10). Play the wide fourth FB-flat (10).
11) Tune the narrow fifth A-sharpD-sharp (11), play the wide fourth B-flatE-flat
(11), the major third E-flatG-natural (11), and the six-four chord B-flatE-flatG
(11), which must be harsh like the earlier ones.
12) Tune the narrow fifth D-sharpG-sharp (12), play the wide third A-flatC (12)
and the perfect major chord A-flatC-naturalE-flat (12), which must be harsh
and similar in falsity to FAC, the first chord tuned.
13) Tune the octave G-sharpG-sharp (13), play the wide fourth E-flatA-flat (13).
14) Tune the narrow fifth C-sharpG-sharp (14), play the wide fourth A-flatD-flat
(14), the wide major third D-flatF-natural, and the six-four chord A-flatD-flatF-
natural (14), harsh like the preceding.
Here ends the second part of the partition, which offers us an infallible and, so to
say, mathematical means to assure us if we have done well. This is the series of
three major thirds FA, AC-sharp, and D-flatF-natural, which, forming the
octave FF, must be equally wide, and which, played one after the other, must
produce exactly the same effect to the ear.
15) Tune the narrow fifth F-sharpC-sharp (15), play the perfect major chord F-
sharpA-sharpC-sharp (15), which must produce the same effect as the natural
chord FAC, and, as a second means of verification, the sixth chord F-sharpA-
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naturalD-natural (15), which must be a little harsh but nevertheless very

tolerable.
16) Tune the octave F-sharpF-sharp (16), play the wide fourth C-sharpF-sharp
(16), the wide third D-naturalF-sharp (16), and the six-four chord A-naturalD-
naturalF-sharp (16) which must be harsh like the preceding ones, and similar to
the other six-four chord D-sharpF-sharpA-sharp (16); finally, play, as a general
proof, the three wide major thirds F-sharpA-sharp, B-flatD-natural, and D-
naturalF-sharp, which form the octave F-sharpF-sharp.
17) Tune the narrow fifth B-naturalF-sharp (17), play the wide fourth F-sharpB-
natural (17), the wide major third B-naturalD-sharp (17), and the six-four chord
F-sharpB-naturalD-sharp (17), similar to the preceding ones, and play again,
as a general proof, the three wide major thirds G-naturalB-natural, B-naturalD-
sharp, and E-flatG-natural, which form the octave G-naturalG-natural.
18) Tune the octave B-naturalB-natural (18), play the wide fourth F-sharpB-
natural (18), the wide third G-naturalB-natural (18), and the six-four chord DG
B.
19) Tune the narrow fifth E-naturalB-natural, play the wide fourth BE (19), the
wide major third C-E, the six-four chord GCE (19), similar to the preceding
ones, and the other six-four chord BEG-sharp (19); Play the fifth (20) AE,
which, being formed by the octave of the first note of the partition A (2) and the
last E (19), will naturally be found to be narrow like the others, and which must be
tempered just as the others. If this fifth is good, that is the most irrefutable proof
that the partition is well made, along with the fact that everything has been done
as prescribed. Finally, play the three wide thirds A-flatC, CE-natural, E-
naturalG-sharp, which form the octave G-sharpG-sharp or A-flatA-flat, and
which, like the preceding, must be equally tempered. If the fifth AE is too narrow,
the third CE will be too just, and the third EG-sharp too wide. If this fifth is too
wide, the contrary will take place: the third CE will be too wide, and the third E
G-sharp too just. In that case you must revisit the last preceding fifths, using the
proofs indicated, to try to discover the cause of this error. If you do not succeed,
you will be obliged to employ a means that is certain to find it, that I call
counterpartition.

Chapter 4
Counterpartition
The counterpartition is a succession of twelve narrow ascending fifths, AE, EB,
etc., serving to retrace the path of the partition, to come upon the error that was
committed, by correcting in each fifth whatever is defective until you have
discovered this error.
To execute the counterpartition contained in the table, you must proceed in the
following manner:
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1) Retouch the A of the fork (1), susceptible to go out of tune, to retune it to its
octave A (2).
2) Retouch the fifth AE (20), tuning the E to the A, i.e., raise it if it is found too
low or lower it if it is found too high, until you make that fifth narrow to the same
degree as those of the partition, leaving the E here a tiny bit lower than perfect
justness. Play the wide fourth EA (20), which must be as harsh as the fifth AE
(20).
3) Retouch the fifth EB (19), if it is found to be wrong, tuning the B to the E, so
that it will be narrow like the preceding fifth AE (20).
4) Tune the just octave BB (18), play the wide fourth BE (18), which must be
as harsh as the fifth EB.
5) Retouch the fifth BF-sharp, if it is found wrong, by tuning, as in the preceding
fifth, the upper note to the lower, so that it becomes narrow, play the wide fourth
F-sharpB (17).
6) Tune the octave F-sharpF-sharp (16), play the wide fourth F-sharpB (16).
7) Retouch the fifth F-sharpC-sharp (15), narrow like the others, play the wide
fourth C-sharpF-sharp (15), play the major third AC-sharp (15), which must be
wide like those obtained in the partition; Play the chord AC-sharpE (15),
tolerable and similar, in its harshness, to the first natural chord FAC of the
partition.
8) Correct any error that you might still find in the fifth C-sharpG-sharp, tuning it
narrow like the preceding, and continue to work as has been indicated, following
the counterpartition table point by point until you have made the error disappear
completely. Sometimes you will be obliged to continue to retrace your steps up to
the first fifth DA of the partition, and if luck would have it that, by a series of
errors committed during the counterpartition, this fifth is found faulty, it will be
necessary to start the partition a second time to make this new error disappear.
The partition being good, you must complete the tuning of the piano, which will
be the subject of the next chapter.

Chapter 5
Tuning of the treble and bass; general verification of the tuning.

The partition being finished, you continue to tune the piano by octaves, taking the
notes of the partition as the basis. You begin by tuning the treble, then the bass,
after which you should go over the treble again to retune any notes that may
have gone out. In old pianos, whose cases are generally not very solid and often
give to the pulling of the lower strings, you should begin by tuning the bass
before the treble, which will not prevent you from needing to go over it a second
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time (see fig. 10).

To tune the treble, proceed as follows:
1) Place the mute above the two strings of the C that follows immediately on the
highest note of the partition, and which is printed black in the figure, and marked
by the number (1). Tune the string that is left free to its lower octave (1), already
tuned, and marked by a white note. Play the fifth FC, marked by a little note,
which must be almost just. The rising octaves must be a bit too high as you move
upwards, especially in new pianos, which are strung with strong strings and
whose trebles go considerably flat. Place the tuning hammer on the next tuning
pin, then move the mute above the two strings of the C-sharp (2), tune the unison
of C-natural, and replay the octave to assure yourself that nothing has gone out.
2) Tune the free string of C-sharp (2) to its inferior octave printed as a white note.
Play the fifth in small notes F-sharpC-sharp, which should be almost just,
remove the mute and place it above the two following strings, of D-natural, tune
the unison C-sharp, replay the octave and the fifth as before, to assure yourself
of the results.
3) Tune the free string of the D (3) to its lower octave, move the mute two strings,
tune the D unison, verify the octave and the fifth, and continue to tune the upper
octaves in the same manner, taking care to move the mute two strings each time,
never removing it altogether, and to place the tuning hammer on the pin of the
string to be tuned before moving the mute, making the octaves always a little
wider as you approach the top, i.e., so that the last fifths are nearly just, and to
continue widening the last twelve notes marked without their fifths. Having arrived
at the last two strings, being unable to place the mute above, leave it below.
Tune the highest string, then remove the mute and tune the unison.
Having finished the ascending octaves, you must tune the bass notes by
descending octaves (see fig. 11).
To tune the bass notes of this table, proceed as follows:
1) Place the mute below the two strings of the E immediately following the lowest
A of the partition, which is a black note in the table, and marked with the number
(1). Like all the bass notes, tune the free string rigorously just to its upper octave
(1), already tuned, and marked by a white note. Place the tuning hammer on the
next tuning pin, move the mute below the two strings of D-sharp (2), tune the
unison of E, play the octave to be certain that nothing has gone out.
2) Tune the free string of D-sharp (2) to its upper octave indicated with a white
note, remove the mute and place it below the two strings of D-natural (3), and
tune the unison of D-sharp. Play the octave to see that nothing has gone out.
3) Tune the free string of D-natural (3) to its upper octave, move the mute down
two strings, tune the union of the D, and continue to tune the descending octaves
in the same way, always taking care to place the tuning hammer on the pin
before moving the mute, which you should move two strings at a time, never
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removing it altogether. Having arrived at the last two strings, being unable to
place the mute below, you leave it above. Tune the lowest string, then remove
the mute and tune the unison of that note.
I must warn you that you should tune the wrapped strings with great care, for if
you raise them too high and then lower them again several times in a row, you
are nearly certain to break them. When, through bad luck, you have raised them
too high, to lower them you must pull them strongly or rub them with your fingers,
so that you will only need to tune them by raising their pitch.
Having finished the bass, you should retune the treble from C (1), just as you did
it the first time. When you have gone through it well, you should verify the general
tuning of the piano, by playing chords in all the twelve major keys, using the
harmonic circle in four parts contained in figure 12. Having become assured by
this sequence of chords that all keys are equally tolerable, you should play a
chromatic scale in octaves with your right hand, starting on C (10), to be certain
of the tuning of the treble, and play a descending chromatic scale in octaves with
the left hand, starting on E (1), to be certain of the tuning of the bass.

Chapter 6
Piano strings, how to replace them
In pianos, the strings of the top and middle are made of iron or brass. In the bass,
they are brass, and the lowest are often wound. The iron or Berlin strings are
inferior to the steel strings that come from England. In the Berlin strings, the
numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. indicate strings becoming thinner, and the numbers 2/0,
3/0, 4/0 designate sizes becoming larger starting at 1.
English numbers follow a more regular pattern. The thinnest strings used is
indicated by 7, and the rest, becoming thicker and thicker, are marked by the
numbers 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. As for the brass strings, their numbering is the
same as that of the Berlin strings above 1.
Approximate relationship of Berlin and English strings:
Berlin Strings English Strings
4 7
3 8
2 9
1 10
0 11
2/0 12
3/0 13
4/0 14
etc. etc.
To replace a broken string, you must use wire marked by the same number you
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will find next to the tuning pin. The tuning hammer has a little hook on top. You
should bend the end of the wire and insert it in the hook to twist the two parts
together, so as to make the tail that Is used to attach it. Then you lift the dampers,
and attach the tail to the point on the hitchpin rail for that string. Then thread it
through the pin of the rail, and cut the string eight inches beyond the tuning pin.
Finally, remove the tuning pin by turning it with the tuning hammer. To roll the
string on the tuning pin, hold the pin with your left hand on the lower portion at a
convenient height. With the right hand place the end of the string along the pin,
and wrap the wire over it, so as to hold it strongly with the fingers of the left hand
while pulling it taut. With the right hand, take the string again to make three or
four turns around the pin, so as to pinch strongly the end that is held by the
fingers of the left hand. Roll the pin a few more turns, and break the little end off.
Put the pin in place, always holding the string taut. Rub the string with a bit of
leather to stretch it, and make it hold its tuning better. Finally, thread the string
through the bridge pins and raise it to pitch.
These are the principles that the limits of this small book allow us to explain.
Though we have aimed to omit nothing important in these first chapters,
nevertheless we have been forced to cover some subjects in a very succinct
manner. Those who wish for a more complete understanding, whether of the
principles of tuning, or of the interior mechanism of the piano, will be able to
make good use of the work we will produce very soon concerning the Art of
Tuning Your Piano Yourself.
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