tuners who play

[Bill Ballard]

On 10/20/96, William Maxim <WMaxim@gnn.com> rote:
<<To me, the benefits of playing are obvious:  The opportunity to
create and enjoy music on a freshly tuned piano several times a
day, as I try out my work.  Playing a bit after tuning gives me the
opportunity to catch details I might otherwise have missed, such as
noisy or malfunctioning pedals; and if I play a bit after
reassembling the cabinet I might catch a vibration that would
otherwise result in a callback.>>

I second that commotion. The people in this thread who are pianist had
said that
as soon as they sit down to their just-finished service (tuning,
whatever) as pianist, they have the pianist's view of their work. We
test-blow our unisons. Why don't we test drive our final product?

On 10/23/96, Walter Sikora <wsikora@email.unc.edu> rote:
I learned this piece (the Chopin Prelude No. 7 in A Major) about ten
years ago.  My wife, who is a real pianoplayer, showed me where the notes
are.  I play it after every tuning. I'd guess I've played it a couple
thousand times by now. Not getting any better at it, but not close to
getting tired of it.
My original modest plan was to learn a new little piece, such as 'Fur
Elise' each year.  I'm about nine years behind on that project now.>>

That's where I'm at. During the first twenty years of piano service, my
final musical proof would be whatever jazz ballad I happened to be
exploring at that point (Billy Strayhorn, Herbie Hancock, and RalphTowner
for example). By then however I had decided that the classical (actually
the romantic) piano literature was what, for me, brought out a piano's
best qualities. So I asked one of my piano teachers , and he handed me
the Brahms Intermezzo #4 in EMaj op.116. He snickered that it would be a
step up from what he has known most tech to be capable of playing, the
Bach Prelude in CMaj. I can now play the first page well enough to
convince someone of the piano's quality. I've also got the first page of
Schuman's Evening Fantasy after hearing Ruth Laredo play and then finding
it on a customer's book shelves.

I play the piano at the end of a service for a couple of reasons. #1, the
test drive as well-elaborated on by others. #2, beyond what the piano may
tell you, the owner's reaction  to your little taste test will tell you
quite a bit. For instance, whether they like music, whether they're
acquainted with the sound of in in-tune piano, and if they're known to be
good pianists, whether their relationship to music and their skills in
particular shows any neuroses which you'd like to steer clear of.
Regardless of whether the piano is a spinet or a large grand, the reason
we're there is because someone loves that piano, and wants us to make it
better. Drawing heavenly music from the piano is an act of love for that
piano, which you can join the owner in. (Yeah, Peace and Brown Rice to
you too, Buddy!) #3, it's much more elegant style of business, letting
the piano announce that you've finished. Finally, #4, I grew up with my
mother's home-baked bread, and specifically, that first slice from the
loafed just cooled from the oven. Sorry, gang, that's a fresh tuning
there, I'mm sitting at the piano, and boy, am I going to savor it.



Bill Ballard RPT
NH Chapter

"All God's Children got Rythm"
Ivy Anderson in "A Day at the Races"