I response to Robin Stevens, no, I am not trying to bypass regular tuning and service by a qualified technician. I am trying to learn something by tackling the problem myself and to continue where I left off after I had the tendonitis problem, so that I will be eventually able to diagnose and solve these problems. I tune the piano myself. I had some lessons with a technician from the Boston PTG chapter, and I attended a PTG convention in 2006 in Rochester NY. I have the Reblitz book and the Randy Potter course including videos. I was surprised at the comment about calling my G1 Yamaha a "Baby Grand, giving away my non tech status" because this is exactly what it is, described on page 5 of the Reblitz book which I believe is one of the main text books used to train piano technicians. I think that all these responses are very useful to me because although you can't see the C6 action on my piano, you are suggesting the possible causes and what I should look at. All the best. Robert ---- pianotech-request at ptg.org wrote: > Send pianotech mailing list submissions to > pianotech at ptg.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://ptg.org/mailman/listinfo/pianotech > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > pianotech-request at ptg.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > pianotech-owner at ptg.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of pianotech digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Advice about intermittent note on Yamaha grand (Robin Stevens) > 2. Re: sticking key (Tom Driscoll) > 3. Re: pianotech Digest, Vol 16, Issue 155 (KeyKat88 at aol.com) > 4. Re: Advice about intermittent note on Yamaha grand (Tom Driscoll) > 5. Re: pianotech Digest, Vol 16, Issue 155 (David Love) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sun, 14 Feb 2010 12:59:07 +1030 > From: "Robin Stevens" <pianobee at bigpond.com> > To: "'Ken & Pat Gerler'" <kenneth.gerler at prodigy.net>, > <pianotech at ptg.org> > Subject: [pianotech] Advice about intermittent note on Yamaha grand > Message-ID: <00b401caad1d$7bdb0ad0$73912070$@com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" > > I think that Robert gave his non tech status away when he called his piano a "baby grand" No piano tuners I know of refers to any model grand as "a baby" > The problem to me sounds definitely a tight jack centre...OK...what's next?....tell a novice how to re centre a tight jack?...or tell him where to buy Protek etc?...where does it end? If he is a serious pianist, this piano should be tuned and serviced regularly..or, is he trying to bypass regular tuning and servicing by a qualified tuner? > > Robin > > > -----Original Message----- > From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Ken & Pat Gerler > Sent: Sunday, 14 February 2010 10:21 AM > To: pianotech at ptg.org > Subject: Re: [pianotech] Advice about intermittent note on Yamaha grand > > Robert, > Having read other responses, one not mentioned, is to make sure the > repetition lever of the whippen is glued down in its slot in the whippen. I > have had that problem occur, not necessarily on a Yamaha, but that, among > other items noted is a point to check. > > Ken Gerler > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <rsfinley at charter.net> > To: <pianotech at ptg.org> > Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2010 12:58 PM > Subject: [pianotech] Advice about intermittent note on Yamaha grand > > > >I have been having a problem with one of the keys, C6, on my Yamaha baby > >grand piano. The note sometmes sounds and sometimes doesn't. If I play the > >note repeatedly, quickly, it sometimes stops sounding. If I give it a rest > >and then play it, it usually sounds again. When it stops sounding, the > >hammer is not propelled as far as the string. > > > > I took the action out to inspect it and to compare it with the action of > > the surrounding keys. It seems that when the note is played, the tip of > > the jack doesn't protrude through the slot in the repetition lever as much > > as for the other keys. I guess the tip of the jack has to stick through > > the slot a certain amount to engage the hammer knuckle, in order to thrust > > the hammer towards the string, and it is just on the point of not being > > far through enough. > > > > Please could you suggest what the solution might be? If I turn the Letoff > > regulating screw so that the letoff button is lower, I think it might > > cause the tip of the jack to stick through the slot in the repetition a a > > little further because the jack toe will engage the letoff button punching > > across a shorter distance than before, making it more certain that the > > note will sound. Would this be the correct thing to adjust or is there > > another alternative? (I didn't examine the knuckle to see if it is worn or > > if there is a deep groove in it. It seemed to be OK) > > > > Thank you very much for your help. > > > > Robert Finley > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Sun, 14 Feb 2010 01:21:13 -0500 > From: "Tom Driscoll" <tomtuner at verizon.net> > To: <pianotech at ptg.org> > Subject: Re: [pianotech] sticking key > Message-ID: <DAF073B0BAFF4D50BF8C50B05EAD96CA at valuedinsignia> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > Phil Bondi or Tom Driscoll? > > Tom D. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Nick Gravagne > To: pianotech at ptg.org > Sent: Sunday, February 14, 2010 12:54 AM > Subject: Re: [pianotech] sticking key > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Marshall writes: > > If Wil is president, then who is the court jester? > > Nick writes: > > Marshall, come on, there could only be one court jester. Think hard! > > Nick G > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Hotmail: Free, trusted and rich email service. Get it now. > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech.php/attachments/20100214/53fb415a/attachment-0001.htm> > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Sun, 14 Feb 2010 01:18:45 EST > From: KeyKat88 at aol.com > To: pianotech at ptg.org > Subject: Re: [pianotech] pianotech Digest, Vol 16, Issue 155 > Message-ID: <145de.481429af.38a8efc5 at aol.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > > Greetings Robert, > > Do you still want to resume tuning? If so, how can you be sure > the physical problems won't return? As a pianist, I am sure that playing > trumps working on pianos. Yes? I had a scare a while back with an arm problem. I > am still not "out of the woods" altogether with it. I am a player too. > While I agree that a pianist should know more about the instrument's technicals > take care of your playing apparatus! > > To answer your question about where to learn more, there are > excelllent books available. I am not sure if you have to be a PTG member to > purchase them from the PTG, but the guild carries them. This forum is a good > place to learn alot and you can also search the PTG archives. University of > Western Ontario has a pretty good certificate program on piano technology too. > It's one school year: Sept until April. _www.uwo.ca_ (http://www.uwo.ca) > click on industry, then click on Don Wright Faculty of music, click on Piano > Technology. > > Best Wishes, > Julia Gottshall > Reading, PA > > In a message dated 2/14/2010 12:53:38 AM Eastern Standard Time, > rsfinley at charter.net writes: > > Here is my background. Soem time ago I started a correspondence course in > piano technology and I am an Associate member of the Boston Chapter of the > PTG. Shortly after I started the course, training as an apprentice, and a few > tuning customers, I developed very painful tendonitis in my left arm and > back pain. Piano tuning seemed to make the pain worse. > > I put the piano technology work on hold for a while and concentrated on > teaching piano students and giving recitals (I am a concert pianist and I have > played in the USA and overseas). Playing the piano didn't seem to bother me > as much. I have now recovered from that and now want to get involved again > in learning more about piano technology with some practical experience. I > think everyone has to learn and start somewhere, and maybe ask questions that > some might consider trivial. It's a huge field and there is a tremendous > amount to learn, and it takes time. > > As far as pianists understanding about how a piano works and about the > technology, I couldn't agree more. I think an overview about this would be > useful in a piano degree course if it isn't already. > > There are some famous concert pianists who are very knowledgeable about > piano technology. Krystian Zimermann comes to mind. I believe he built his own > piano? I think Alfred Brendel also knows a lot about piano tuning and > technology as well. > > Thank you all very much for your suggestions and advice so far. > > All the best. > > Robert > > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech.php/attachments/20100214/58fd0fe7/attachment-0001.htm> > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Sun, 14 Feb 2010 01:44:46 -0500 > From: "Tom Driscoll" <tomtuner at verizon.net> > To: "Pianotech" <pianotech at ptg.org> > Subject: Re: [pianotech] Advice about intermittent note on Yamaha > grand > Message-ID: <E02012613AA5415D9113F5557E74D626 at valuedinsignia> > Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1; > reply-type=original > > > > > >I think that Robert gave his non tech status away when he called his piano > >a "baby grand" No piano tuners I know of refers to any model grand as "a > >baby" > > The problem to me sounds definitely a tight jack centre...OK...what's > > next?....tell a novice how to re centre a tight jack?...or tell him where > > to buy Protek etc?...where does it end? If he is a serious pianist, this > > piano should be tuned and serviced regularly..or, is he trying to bypass > > regular tuning and servicing by a qualified tuner? > > > > Robin , > I think it's been stated earlier but Robert is an associate member of the > Boston chapter and a concert level pianist. If you were at Rochester > convention you may have heard Robert on the Kawai playing after the concert > program. > I have serviced his piano before he took up our trade and he certainly is > not trying to bypass service . > Robert lives in the next town from me and I'm hoping to meet with him next > week to help with his question. > > Tom Driscoll > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 5 > Date: Sat, 13 Feb 2010 23:31:37 -0800 > From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos at comcast.net> > To: <pianotech at ptg.org> > Subject: Re: [pianotech] pianotech Digest, Vol 16, Issue 155 > Message-ID: <000401caad47$be185770$3a490650$@net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Well I think it's great that you are pursuing it and encourage you to continue in spite of the fact the piano work is not always compatible with piano playing (too hard on the piano muscles). Yet there are many pianists, like the ones you mention, who are very capable. Unfortunately, the music school piano technology courses are a bit of a joke with the unspoken game of who can pass without actually attending being all the rage. That's why we still get paid to extract pencils (joking reference to a previous thread). Books, classes, seminars, conventions and mentoring still remain the best way to learn. Even then, at some point you just have to open the damn thing up and go at it with the brain fully engaged. You won't likely break anything and if you do there's not much I can think of that can't be fixed. > > David Love > www.davidlovepianos.com > > > > Here is my background. Soem time ago I started a correspondence course in piano technology and I am an Associate member of the Boston Chapter of the PTG. Shortly after I started the course, training as an apprentice, and a few tuning customers, I developed very painful tendonitis in my left arm and back pain. Piano tuning seemed to make the pain worse. > > I put the piano technology work on hold for a while and concentrated on teaching piano students and giving recitals (I am a concert pianist and I have played in the USA and overseas). Playing the piano didn't seem to bother me as much. I have now recovered from that and now want to get involved again in learning more about piano technology with some practical experience. I think everyone has to learn and start somewhere, and maybe ask questions that some might consider trivial. It's a huge field and there is a tremendous amount to learn, and it takes time. > > As far as pianists understanding about how a piano works and about the technology, I couldn't agree more. I think an overview about this would be useful in a piano degree course if it isn't already. > > There are some famous concert pianists who are very knowledgeable about piano technology. Krystian Zimermann comes to mind. I believe he built his own piano? I think Alfred Brendel also knows a lot about piano tuning and technology as well. > > Thank you all very much for your suggestions and advice so far. > > All the best. > > Robert > > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > pianotech mailing list > pianotech at ptg.org > http://ptg.org/mailman/listinfo/pianotech > > > End of pianotech Digest, Vol 16, Issue 158 > ******************************************
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