>As for cranking out tunings... I know it's the piano technician's "bread >and butter". But I've been thinking if that's what this business is all >about, I think it's time to find a new profession. I grow to hate it more >each and every tuning. <now where did that come from? that wasn't what we >were talking about!> Hi Brian, Yea, that's the JOB part of the job, along with the paperwork and other administrative junk. I get through it in a lot of different ways. Here are a few possible considerations toward your survival on tuning days. I regularly go into neighborhoods that normally wouldn't let me past the gate, into half-million dollar houses through the front door just like a real person, walk into a half-acre living room, sit down at a $60,000 piano, and I'm on my turf. That's kind of cool, in a perverse sort of way. I get the occasional wonderful surprise of meeting extraordinary people in quite unexpected places and circumstances. Once in a while, I get to be a hero. Once in a while, what I do is truly appreciated (try that in a real job) and I get the occasional chance to both extend and receive a genuine, no strings, non politically motivated kindness or consideration (try that too, while you're at it). Rarely, but memorably, I'll get a short performance from a pianist that's better at this than I will ever be at ANYTHING. I've always admired capability first, and that sort of thing can make my whole week. During the actual tuning, I don't have to be entirely there. Auto pilot is a wonderful thing, and tuning is a sort of strange phantasy world in the first place, at least it is to me. In those accumulated seconds between tuning events that need conscious intervention, I can look the piano over and play "what if". I've also designed a lot of jigs and shop processes during the course of some otherwise uneventful tuning, and I'll stop and make notes or a quick sketch for when I get back into the real physical world of the shop. I'll notice some unusual design feature of the piano and spend a few minutes investigating and wondering. What the heck causes that awful string noise? Does it go away if I touch here, or here? Hey, I didn't realize this worked that way! I'll spend a dollar's worth of time a hundred times through the year in hopes of learning something that will save me that much in frustration and despair in that one nightmare service call. You know the one, where the fix was so obvious after you stopped looking where you knew the problem had to be and started thinking? That's a major problem with tuning, in my opinion. We tend to quit thinking and just serve our time running the internal program. It doesn't have to be a day lost to just installing tunings and generating income though, it's possible to learn something and still have those satisfied customers and a fist full of checks to deposit. The people and the exposure to multiple minor educational opportunities are the closest thing to a tuning antidote that I've got. Next time you find "Tuning Funk" woolying up your brain cells, consider that lost soul in an aircraft plant fabrication shop, pushing a drill all day - every day, for thirty years. What kind of on the job educational opportunities does he or she have? Now get back to work. <G> Ron N
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC