Piano work can be a lonely occupation. Yes, one deals with (hopefully) a stream of customers, many of whom can be quite interesting and some of whom become friends. This connecting with individuals with whom one shares (again, hopefully) a common passion is rewarding and inspiring. But the work itself is isolated. In fact many […]
tuning
Tuned for a famous musician recently
Had the great pleasure of meeting and tuning for a very famous classical musician recently. His apartment in NYC has a Bosendorfer model 200 that really needed some attention. Casually displayed on the bookshelf were just some of his many awards and honors. Just off to the left was his Kennedy Center Honor, looking like […]
Old dogs
Some of you may have been following my very slow progress toward regaining my RPT status. For those who don’t know, the Piano Technicians Guild (PTG) provides structure to the industry of piano maintenance, producing annual national conventions and numerous regional ones that focus on education, training and professional behavior. In an effort to standardize […]
Piano Care
A high end piano, while weighing hundreds of pounds, is actually quite a delicate item. The 2 biggest dangers are swings in humidity and improper servicing. Humidity: While high humidity (greater than 70%) can cause inconveniences, such as sticking keys, it rarely causes true damange. Besides, in this day and age most homes that have […]
Book Reviews
There are 2 books I’ve been reading lately, one new and one not so new. The Voice of the Piano by Andre Oorebeek is a welcome addition to the sparse list of books on piano technology. This book is a very clear and thorough examination of the process of high end piano voicing, which concentrates […]
Tuning part 2
A single piano key sets into motion a set of 3 strings, all set in motion by the same hammer and all tuned, ideally, to the exact same pitch. This collection of 3 strings is called a unison. One usually sets a temperment by muting off 2 of the 3 strings in each unison over […]