I'm not a big fan of test blows while tuning my piano. Fortunately, my pianos generally behave and I get away with soft tuning... but once in a while the test blows are necessary.

I really hate test blows because they are hard on me and they are hard on the piano. I can't do anything about the piano part, but for myself I'd rather use a key pounder.

I got the Davies Key Pounder from Howard Piano Industries a while back:

This is how Russell explained it to me:

The other end of the strap is left unglued so that you can custom fit the tool to your hand. Put the tool in the palm of the hand you intend to use it in and make a fist around the tool. This is how you hold the tool when using it. Now pull the strap up over the backside of your hand between your wrist and your knuckles tightly, pull the leather strap over the top of the tool and with a sharpie or marker, mark the spot you will need to glue it to the top where the tool will be held tightly in your palm. Remove the tool and using wood glue, hide glue, or contact cement, glue the strap in place. You can use a clamp to clamp it. I like to use liquid hide glue in case you want to adjust the strap later. After it is glued up you can trim off the extra leather. You should now be able to wear the tool in your palm and use it when needed while also being able to use your hand as normal without holding the tool. I can even play the piano while wearing the tool.

However, lately I've been wondering if I should try another design.

Supply88 has the Key Tapper by Janet Guglielmino for an eye watering $75. It seems more like a work of art:

And of course, because Nate Reyburn will never be outmatched, he has key pounders at $75 to $125.

Ok, I'll admit this is cool and all... but can I get a key pounder design like this without breaking the bank?

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Beach L168, Wish, baCh, WOW Petrof, Fake Steinway, VS
TIME

Never used one. I tuned for a couple of decades. Occasionally I'd find a piano that needed very heavy blows to get things equalized and I'd typically refuse service on extreme pianos. Sorry, but just being honest. One of those was even a name that started with "S" and ended with "teinway". I didn't care. My opinion of that piano was not flattering. And the level of self abuse necessary to actually tune it, no thanks, I pass.

Generally, I didn't find the need for such devices, honest. Sometimes harder blows were called for but not often. Even with that, though, it was often my ears that were the most fatigued after a tuning like that. I will add, that yes, I did do a few concert tunings and never once had a complaint. I was approached on more than one occasion about testing for the PTG by a tuning examiner who thought I'd pass easily. At that point in my career, I didn't need the credentials, my work spoke for itself.

    Just to make sure I understand, what you are describing as a test blow is not the common tuner's practice of striking a note somewhat percussively, and then repeating the same note more quietly immediately afterward, and letting it ring.

      Bellyman Thanks! I totally feel the same way and most of the time I avoid the heavy blows. I wear ear protection the entire time as well... my priority is survival here. 😃

      Once, after having had my piano professionally tuned by someone who didn't do any test blows, I tried some hard blows myself shortly after and was able to knock the strings out of tune. So I still occasionally do hard blows when I notice things aren't as stable as I'd like them to be.

      Maybe I'll just phase them out.

      pseudonym58 the common tuner's practice of striking a note somewhat percussively, and then repeating the same note more quietly immediately afterward, and letting it ring.

      Right. I don't think I recall any of my tuners using this technique but maybe I wasn't watching closely at the time. I certainly don't do this myself... I think it might confuse the software as well.

      I just simply play a note, let it ring to get a measurement and watch how it trends as I adjust. Then I'll play the note again to check.

      Once the note is on target, I might do a sharp test blow to see if it holds or not.

      --
      Beach L168, Wish, baCh, WOW Petrof, Fake Steinway, VS
      TIME

          There is a lot to be said for tuning hammer technique, the state of tension you leave the string segments in, etc. (I am having trouble finding the words.)

          The test blows are primarily to equalize string tension across the whole string, not just the speaking length. Once the string tensions in both the speaking length and the non-speaking segments of the string are equalized, it's not likely to move much at all.

          Rendering points, where the string is encountering a bending point such as a bridge pin(s), a capo bar, an agraffe, or where there would be friction such as a string pressing into a piece of felt (common in the tuning block area), those are the kinds of things that heavily influence how easy or difficult string equalization happens. Some pianos it's super smooth and easy. Others are a total pain in the posterior. Depends on how they're built.

          I don't tend to think of them as "test blows" but when I think about it, I have used a very sharp staccato type blow as a first blow in a series after adjusting the string, typically followed by a less sharp couple of blows to listen and see whether it moved and if so where it moved to and how much, those are common for me.

          I have found that to some extent, it's intuitive and learned by experiencing it. Maybe that's why I have a hard time describing.