Piano Care Seminar

[Dave Nereson]

----- Original Message -----
From: Doepke Family <doepke@fwi.com>
To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 04, 2001 9:24 PM
Subject: Piano Care Seminar


> I have been lucky enough to have a new piano store agree to host a Basic
> Piano Care Seminar.  Invitations will go out into the area.  To music
> teachers, churches, and the general public.  I have ordered some pamphlets
> from the PTG to hand out to folks when they arrive.
>
> Without going overboard with too technical information,  what topics do
you
> think should be included in a Basic Piano Care presentation lasting about
45
> minutes..maybe an hour?
>
>
> Thank you.  I am constantly amazed at the wealth of knowledge this group
> has..and is willing to share.
>
>
> Brian P. Doepke

-Climate control -- of the room, not necessarily a Dampp-Chaser.  Where in
the room to locate the piano (away from heat registers, direct sun, etc.).
-Minimize the junk you keep on top of the piano, especially plants &
liquids.
-How often to tune and how to tell when other services are needed (voicing,
regulating, cleaning).
 -How to open the lid of a grand and which rosette is for which lid prop.
-What polishes, if any, to use or not use, and on which types of finish;
what to use to clean the keys
-Basic instruction for piano teachers who have a tuning hammer and want to
be able to:  touch up unisons in between tunings, perhaps replace a jack
spring or bridle strap, remove pencils, adjust the pedal lost motion...[As
an aside:  I have one customer who read about steaming hammers in Larry
Fine's book and decided to voice the hammers himself.  With no previous
instruction -- not even how to remove the action-- he did it and did as good
as, or better a job than I could have!]
-Optional:  Names of some of the parts (fallboard, not key cover; plate, not
harp; hammers, not pads; that there are many "felts", etc.). How the piano
produces a tone and how the action works (basically).  Dispel myths (the jar
of water underneath; HAS to be tuned everytime it's moved, even if just
across the room; "cast-iron soundboards", "upright grands", the seriousness
of soundboard cracks, playing it more makes it stay in tune better, etc.)
            Sincerely, Dave Nereson , RPT

>