Can I get an explanation of the II-V7-I trick??? >From: "Tom Servinsky" <tompiano at bellsouth.net> >Reply-To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org> >To: <annie at allthingspiano.com>, "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org> >Subject: Re: Do you play piano? >Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2007 05:15:00 -0400 > >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/ > > > > > > >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- > AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's >free from AOL at AOL.com. _________________________________________________________________ Get a preview of Live Earth, the hottest event this summer - only on MSN http://liveearth.msn.com?source=msntaglineliveearthhm
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