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| Pianova FAQ’s
Q: How often should my piano be tuned? A: I believe that Steinway and Sons puts it best: “We [Steinway & Sons] recommend that your tuner be called at least 3 or 4 times a year. You, however, are the final judge and should have the piano tuned as often as you think necessary. To put the matter of tuning into perspective, remember that a concert piano is tuned before every performance and a piano in a professional recording studio, where it is in constant use, is tuned 3 or 4 times each week as a matter of course.” I have found that pianos with Dampp-Chaser humidity control systems require less tuning than pianos without the system. Q: How long have you been tuning pianos? A: I first picked up a tuning lever in 1992. I began tuning professionally in 1994. Q: How did you learn to tune pianos? A: I began researching the topic while attending The Evergreen State College in the early 90’s. After a few months of self-study, I began an apprenticeship and shortly thereafter joined the Piano Technicians Guild as an Associate Member. Through the guild I met other piano technicians and rebuilders and was able to work as a shop assistant for a number of years. In 1994 I passed the Piano Technician Guild exams becoming a Registered Piano Technician. Shortly thereafter I acquired a business license, and began advertising my services. Click HERE to view my resumé. Q: Do you tune by ear or use a machine? A: Tuning by ear was what initially fascinated me. The idea of using only a few simple tools and careful listening to create a beautiful tuning was very appealing. Since the most successful and skilled technicians can tune by ear, I made a decision early on to pursue that tradition. Q: Do you have to have perfect pitch to tune pianos? A: The phenomenon of perfect pitch has nothing to do with tuning pianos. In fact the idea of perfect pitch is a myth. While some people are very adept at naming notes upon hearing them, no one has a perfect enough sense of pitch to be useful in piano tuning. Also, there is no one perfect pitch for each note of the piano. A high-quality tuning is a complex comprimise and balancing act. Each individual instrument has its own harmonic structure that is different enough from other instruments to require slightly different pitches. Q: Are machines more accurate than the ear? A: Yes and no. Machines are very accurate at measuring the frequency (speed of vibration) of a note. The problem is they are less accurate at knowing what the frequency of a particular note should be. They make certain assumptions based on the harmonic characteristics of the particular piano. The most competent tuners who use these machines will tell you that they usually use their ear to refine the work they do with the machine. Also, because piano tone is complex and dynamic, sometimes the machine doesn’t give a clear reading. That’s when an experienced ear is essential. A: I started taking lessons in 1973 when I was 5 years old. I enjoy playing a variety of pieces: Scott Joplin, Mozart, Bach, Chopin, Beethoven, Debussy, and Gershwin. I enjoy all musical styles from Ragtime to Baroque. Q: What kind of piano do you own? A: I own a 1912 Steinway & Sons 5'10" model "O" with beautiful ivory keys and a mahogany case. Even though it is almost 100 years old, it is in amazing condition. I love the fact that it was built during the time the Steinway family was still in control of the company. Q: Do you tune other instruments besides pianos? A: I have tuned harpsichords, harps, autoharps, Music Maker Zithers, and Schoenhut toy pianos. |
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