Wanna be piano tuner

[David Ilvedson]

Melissa,

If RPT status is a goal, be warned of Carl's Associate bias...;-]

David I.



-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf
Of Carl W. Meyer
Sent: Saturday, September 30, 2000 6:24 PM
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: RE: Wanna be piano tuner


Melissa:  My name is Carl Meyer.  I live in Santa Clara, just next door to
you.  Feel free to call me at 408/984-0482.  I have a background in
teaching and am presently helping another wannabee.  You may access my
totally biased opinions for free.

Carl Meyer

> [Original Message]
> From: <Hotsteno@cs.com>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Date: 9/30/00 2:47:33 PM
> Subject: Wanna be piano tuner
>
> Hello!
>
> My name is Melissa Roen.  I'm new to this list this morning.  Ordinarily
I
> read a list for a while before posting, but I'm just so excited about
this
> that I wanted to post now.  I went through this lists' archives and
couldn't
> find a specific answer to my exact question, although I bet someone has
asked
> it and I just can't find it.  Anyway, I posted a message to this effect
on
> rec.music.makers.piano this morning already, but I know I'll get more and
> better responses here.
>
> I'm a 29-year-old court reporter living in San Jose, California.  I have
> played the piano since I was four years old and have had a lot of musical
> training through private lessons and as a music major in College and at
Aspen
> Music School.  Today I play mostly for my own pleasure and to relieve the
> organist at our church from time to time.  (Yes, I play the organ too,
but
> that's not the point here!)
>
> Anyway, I have arrived at a point where I have a little money and a
little
> time to learn a skill I have desired since high school:  I want to learn
to
> tune and repair pianos.
>
> I took a correspondence course as a teenager, with disastrous results.
Now I
> understand I had a very poor tuning hammer provided and the information I
> received was poorly delivered and, at worst, just plain wrong.  This time
I
> want to do things "right."  What I'm trying to ascertain is what is the
best
> way to go about this?  My specific goal is to eventually take and pass
the
> RPT exam.
>
> All I have done so far is purchased a book, "Piano Servicing, Tuning, and
> Rebuilding," by Arthur A. Reblitz.  What I am thinking is rather than go
the
> correspondence course way, I should read the book thoroughly; buy the
best
> equipment I can afford -- what specifically, I'm not yet sure of, nor
where
> to buy it; buy some of the other videotapes and books recommended at the
back
> if the book and study them; and then hire someone who is already a RPT to
> teach me one-on-one until I get the hang of it.  I also plan to join the
> Piano Technician's
> Guild.
>
> I would go to a school, but there are none in my area (San Jose,
California).
>
>
> So to summarize:
> Is this the truly the best way to learn?
> What equipment do I need to buy?  Where should I get it from?
> Should I reconsider taking a correspondence course?
> Is there anything else I should know about?
>
> Thanks for letting me pick your collective brains!
>
> Best wishes,
> Melissa
> hotsteno@cs.com
>
>
> Melissa Roen
> CSR No. 12284
> Pulone & Stromberg
> Certified Shorthand Reporters
>



--- Carl W. Meyer, Santa Clara, Ca.
--- cmpiano@earthlink.net