v.11

False Beats

False beats are single strings that have audible beats in them.

Strings with false beats cannot be easily tuned clean. Sometimes the beat can be reduced when tuning the unison clean, but often they just do not disappear.

You need to have a high-quality instrument to submit the videos, but sometimes that is just not possible.

In order to not penalize you if you do not have the best instrument possible, we are working on a procedure that will allow you to submit strings to be “eliminated” from the evaluation.

In order to have a string accepted for elimination from the evaluation, the following steps must be taken:

1. Show that you have tried to eliminate the false beat by using some of the procedures in the false beat section of the repair course on HowToTunePianos.com
   
   Notes:
   1) You MUST confirm that there is a problem before attempting the remediation. Example: do NOT tap the string down on the bridge if application of pressure on the string at the bridge does not eliminate the false beat. “Don’t fix something that is not broken.”
   2) If a remediation doesn’t work, do NOT do it again, nor do more of it!
   3) If a remediation does work a little, do NOT do it again, nor do more of it!
   
2. If you can’t eliminate the false beat, send in a recording of the single string and it will be analyzed for falseness at the coincident partial of concern. If accepted, you can submit your tuning without the false string included.
   
   Note: You can mute the center string using a papps mute or split mute, but I will accept muting the false center string and its neighbour.
   
3. If there are false beats on all three strings of a note and you cannot eliminate them, it is suggested that you replace the string or look for a better piano to use.