Do you play piano?

[Tom Servinsky]

I call it the "school of hard-knocks".
By the way, Shearing's  II-V7-I trick is built around the song "Laura", which utilizes a series of II-V7-I progressions. Shearing had a clever exercise which went through all keys and voiced in the same manner as "Laura". The ninth of the chord was always the leading tone . Very cool, very easy, and especially very workable if one were blind, like George. Talk about a guy who's sensory system more than made up for his lack of eyesight. An extremely brilliant mind...and a heck of a nice guy.
Tom Servinsky
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Annie Grieshop 
  To: Pianotech List 
  Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 11:31 PM
  Subject: RE: Do you play piano?


  Tom, that's wonderful.  To get pointers from Borge and Shearing -- how cool is that?  I need to go try that progression.

  Educators talk about "syntonic" knowledge -- first-hand, personal, applied knowledge, as opposed to "book learning".  That seems to be what you're describing in the way your previous technical training "clicked" onced you started to play seriously.

  Thanks.

  Annie Grieshop
    -----Original Message-----
    From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org]On Behalf Of Tom Servinsky
    Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 7:45 PM
    To: Pianotech List
    Subject: Re: Do you play piano?


    I'll take this being able to play issue a step further. It wasn't until I started to develop as a working cocktail pianist that I started to appreciate the full role of the piano technician.
     Sure, at that point I had already past the RPT and CTE exams, attended most of the manufacture seminars and attended most of the conventions. But it wasn't until I started to play the piano on a much more serious level that things began to click.
     I noticed myself becoming more frustrated when the action wouldn't respond to a fast piece that I was trying to play. I started to notice that voicing wasn't as even as I thought that it was.  I began to listen to the quality of tone on a much more defined level. I started to be much more critical of what tuning should be. I started to develop another perspective of tuning. And voicing...well I could go on and on with that topic.
    Like many of you, I have my degree in music performance and education. I still play professionally as a orchestral clarinetist, playing with several orchestras and opera companies. But I didn't study piano as a child, although my parents tried to force it on me. 
      It wasn't until I was teaching in the schools that I started to use the piano on a daily basis. It quickly became my tool of choice during lessons. I was always a good score reader and had a well developed ear so I was able get by faking. Slowly but surely I began to play the piano more and more.  Then I began to become very curious about the workings of the piano and one thing led to another, and soon I was enrolled  piano technology program.

    Fast forward 28 yrs , I have had the good fortune to have worked with many of the great touring pianists.  I have had impromptu lessons with Victor Borge,George Shearing, and many others. I worked with  Victor Borge over  a 15 yr period when he was in Florida. He would force me to play some Debussy for him while he listened to the piano in the auditorium. Instead of finding fault in the piano, he would start criticizing my playing. When he realized that I was more or less self-taught pianist, he started to lighten up on me and started to give me constructive pointers..
     George Shearing showed me the art of "closed" voicing with a very cool  II-V7-I progression in all keys. What an eye-opener! Slowly I started to pay close attention to the technique and approach of the touring artists. Through osmosis I started develop a decent quality to my play. 

    My advise to young technicians who don't play the piano, learn. It's never to late.
    You'll discover that it's good for your business.
    It broadens your knowledge of why we do what we do.
    Most of all, it's good for the soul. 
    Isn't that one of things we are to be promoting to our clients?
    Tom Servinsky
    ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: piannaman at aol.com 
      To: pianotech at ptg.org 
      Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 5:09 PM
      Subject: Re: Do you play piano?


      Good post, Tom.  I agree with you that we don't have to play well to be a great tech, but playing enhances one's appreciation of the work we do for a living.  And I'll add that being a technician has enhanced my ability to listen to others I'm playing music with.

      Dave Stahl


       
        Not that you need to be fine player in order to achieve high levels of technical ability. But rather,developing a reasonable or advance level of playing ability can benefit you in gaining a greater appreciation and understanding of the finer aspects of fine tuning, regulation, and voicing. For me, it's broadens your understanding and empathy for the role we play for the pianists, our customers. 
        Tom Servinsky 
        ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gregor _" <karlkaputt at hotmail.com> 
        To: <pianotech at ptg.org> 
        Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 7:17 AM 
        Subject: RE: Do you play piano? 
         
        > >From: "Elwood Doss" 
        > 
        > Is not being able to play well a handicap? I don't 
        >>think it is for me. As far as I know, I've had no dissatisfied 
        >>customers. 
        > 
        > 
        > You don´t have to play well. It´s enough to be able to play one or two > songs. Perhaps it´s not a necessity but it´s a huge advantage. I remember > situations when I regulated a piano and thought to have done everything > correct. But playing that instrument showed me that there is something > going wrong which I never would have noticed without playing. 
        > 
        > Gregor 



      Dave Stahl, RPT

      Dave Stahl Piano Service
      650-224-3560
      dstahlpiano at sbcglobal.net
      http://dstahlpiano.net/











      -----Original Message-----
      From: Tom Servinsky 
      To: Pianotech List 
      Sent: Sun, 3 Jun 2007 7:15 am
      Subject: Re: Do you play piano?


      Not that you need to be fine player in order to achieve high levels of technical ability. But rather,developing a reasonable or advance level of playing ability can benefit you in gaining a greater appreciation and understanding of the finer aspects of fine tuning, regulation, and voicing. For me, it's broadens your understanding and empathy for the role we play for the pianists, our customers. 
      Tom Servinsky 
      ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gregor _" <karlkaputt at hotmail.com> 
      To: <pianotech at ptg.org> 
      Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 7:17 AM 
      Subject: RE: Do you play piano? 
       
      > >From: "Elwood Doss" 
      > 
      > Is not being able to play well a handicap? I don't 
      >>think it is for me. As far as I know, I've had no dissatisfied 
      >>customers. 
      > 
      > 
      > You don´t have to play well. It´s enough to be able to play one or two > songs. Perhaps it´s not a necessity but it´s a huge advantage. I remember > situations when I regulated a piano and thought to have done everything > correct. But playing that instrument showed me that there is something > going wrong which I never would have noticed without playing. 
      > 
      > Gregor 
      > 
      > _________________________________________________________________ 
      > FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar - get it now! > http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/ 
      > 
      >  


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