Detuning 13 notes (aka: Tuning for outside groups)

[Kent Swafford]

Boy, David, what a mess! Our business depends upon a certain level of
professional behavior from everyone involved.

My experience is that it is very rare for anyone to try to stiff the piano
tuner. I bill outside groups directly for tunings at the university where I
help out, and in ten years (can it really be that long?) I have never had an
experience like the one you describe.

The behavior of the jazz society director was extremely unusual, rude,
unprofessional, and just plain dumb, because by arguing on the day of the
concert about terms, she was jeopardizing her relationship with the
musicians, the college, and the audience, in addition to the piano tech.

To the extent it is possible, unprofessional behavior must be met with
exemplary professional behavior. When you detuned the piano, David, you
burned your bridges, because you now have no basis on which to request
payment. Had you finished the tuning to the best of your ability, you would
have been within your rights not to accept the assertions of the jazz
society director as the final word on the matter, and you could have sent
the bill to the college and asked for their assistance. Now you can't do
that, in my opinion, because you did not provide a proper tuning in the end.

(That said, you may find that the 4 cent detuning you did was insufficient
to make your point. I suspect it might take 8-12 cents or even more.  :)

Kent Swafford



On 5/6/01 1:55 PM, "Vanderhoofven" <dkvander@janics.com> wrote:

> Dear Friends,
> 
> I take care of a Steinway D in the small hall at our local state
> college.  I have an oral agreement with the college to tune their pianos at
> a reduced rate.  I very infrequently bill for pitch corrections, so they
> are getting a good deal, in my opinion.
> 
> I also tune this same piano for outside groups, such as the local piano
> teachers association, and local concert groups.  A month ago, I put on my
> calendar to tune this piano today for a concert this afternoon.  Last week
> I confirmed with the secretary of the music department that this tuning was
> to be done, and that it was to be billed to the local jazz society.  A few
> days ago I called the director of the jazz society and left a message on
> her answering machine that I was going to tune the piano the morning of the
> concert.
> 
> Today at 10:30 am I began tuning the Steinway D to get ready for the
> concert by a jazz trio.  The concert was at 2:30 pm, so I had plenty of
> time to do a good tuning and be done before they began to set up.  The
> piano was about 4 cents sharp, so I did a 2 pass tuning, using RCT,
> lowering pitch from A-441 to A-440 and tuning at A-440.  When I was almost
> finished with my tuning, the director of the local jazz society came in and
> told me that she was not paying for the tuning and that she had not
> authorized the tuning.  Well, I finished the tuning, checked all my
> unisons, and then played a song to check out the tuning.  I have been
> working on piano Sonata K.1, L.366 by Domenico Scarlatti.  I liked the
> tuning.  I didn't like the voicing, but then, I don't get paid to do more
> than tune, so I don't do more than tune.  I have too much free work already
> for the college.
> 
> After I was satisfied with the tuning, the last thing I did was to tune all
> of the right strings on notes G3 to G4 precisely 4 cents sharp.  Since I am
> not getting paid for the tuning, then the jazz society should not get to
> use my tuning without paying.  This is the second time in two weeks that an
> outside group said they would not pay for my tuning on that piano.  The
> first time,  I found out before I did the tuning so I didn't waste my time
> tuning.  This time I didn't find out until after I was almost finished with
> my tuning.
> 
> Question:  How do you deal with tunings (and getting paid for the tunings)
> for outside groups at your college or university?  Do you have a policy
> about what to do in situations like this?
> 
> Thanks for letting me vent.  Perhaps my experience will be helpful to
> someone.  If anyone has a viable solution, I would like to hear it.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> David A. Vanderhoofven
> Registered Piano Technician
> Missouri Southern State College