What is and what is not a piano tuner .

[Kevin E. Ramsey RPT]

    A piano tuner is someone who tunes pianos. A piano technician tunes,
regulates, voices, repairs, and sometimes rebuilds piano.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Diane Hofstetter" <dianepianotuner@hotmail.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, December 15, 2000 2:36 PM
Subject: What is and what is not a piano tuner .


> I think it's all a matter of perspective;
>
> My partner talks on the phone to his son in Canada about once a week.
They
> talk a lot about businesses and how to run one.  Last week his son was on
a
> soapbox about how his dad should not call himself a mere "piano tuner".
> Apparently he didn't think it sounded impressive enough.  I didn't hear
> whether he had a better idea or not though.......
>
> Of course, since he tunes with an ETD, doing aural unisons and tests,
maybe
> it should be something more professional sounding, like "Piano Acoustical
> Interface Engineer".
> I dunno, I'm not so good with words like Professor Ron... maybe he has a
> better term that would satisfy everybody.
>
> Diane
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >From: kam544@flash.net
> >Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org
> >To: pianotech@ptg.org
> >Subject: Re: What is and what is not a piano tuner (was Re: The Final
> >Result)
> >Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2000 13:45:04 -0600
> >
> > >> ...Is it how many are done per day, week, month, year?
> > >> Is it how much one receives in payment?
> > >> Is it how satisfied the customer is?
> > >> Is it ................ ?
> > >
> > >These are irrelevant to the question "what is a piano tuner"
> >
> >How are these considerations irrelevant?
> >
> > >>...Is there a line that exists somewhere between someone being able to
> >tune a
> > >> piano, and being a piano tuner, that I am not aware of, other than to
> >be
> > >> able to do it, and declare it so?
> > >
> > >The key phrase here is "declare it so". In order to do so you have to
> >have
> > >certain
> > >knowledge about tuning in general. If not then the statment is
> >meaningless.
> >
> >Would not that knowledge reveal itself, however accomplished or method of
> >operation used, by leaving a piano in a tuned state.?
> >
> > >Keith... it would seem your definition of a piano tuner is simply
whoever
> > >decides
> > >to call themselves one.
> >
> >No, that's not correct, Richard.  My definition, in its temporary
briefest
> >context, that I choose to accept at this point in time, and one I am
> >reasonably comfortable with, until someone can come up with some more
> >defining is:
> >
> >Someone who is actively tuning pianos and leaving them in a reasonable
> >tuned state and choosing to use whatever method of operation to
accomplish
> >such an act.
> >
> > >You sight qualifications such as how many instruments a
> > >person "services", "how much money  made"  Whether or not the piano is
> > >indeed in
> > >tune regardless of how it was tuned.  And of all things something as
> >vague as
> > >whether the customer is satisfied or not.
> > >I am indeed sorry, but as a serious attempt at finding any real
criteria
> >for
> > >assessment of knowledge and skills neccessary to qualify for the title
> > >Piano Tuner,
> > >these above fail miserably.
> >
> >I honestly don't see how these questions fail miserably and don't have
some
> >merit for consideration from your viewpoint.
> >
> > >I also must say that I find it no less then alarming
> > >that you consistantly leave out any requirement for actual knowledge of
> > >the trade
> > >or trade skills from your "qualifications".  Are we really to be
expected
> >to
> > >confere the PTG stamp of approval on anyone who presents themselves
with
> >a
> > >machine,
> > >a customer list, an income statement, a report of hours worked, and one
> >single
> > >tuning skill ... namely that of being able to set tuning pins ???
> > >
> > >Give me a break with all this.
> > >
> > >If we are serious about all this then it should not be so difficult to
at
> > >least be
> > >in aggreement that the prosepective tuner should be able to display
that
> > >he / she
> > >actually knows something about the job. What about the following
> >skills...
> > >
> > >the ability to count beats per second.
> > >the ability to hear and identify beat rates of different coincident
> > >partials for
> > >any given interval
> > >the ability to determine varying degrees of stretch.
> > >the ability to isolate tuning concerns from voicing or regulation
> >concerns.
> > >the ability to indentify, isolate and minimize the effect of false
beats
> >
> >All of the previous is addressing the application of testing standards
> >within the Piano Technicians Guild domain.  For the record, Richard, I
have
> >no problem having testing standards for those who want to bear the title
of
> >Registered Piano Technician (RPT).
> >
> >What I am addressing, Richard, are the numerous individuals throughout
the
> >world who do succeed in accomplishing reasonable, stable piano tunings on
a
> >daily basis, that do receive compensation for such activity, that do
> >satisfy their customers, that are not members of, or affiliated with, the
> >Piano Technicians Guild (PTG), that do use various approaches to
> >accomplishing these tunings, whether it be aural only, aural with
> >electronic assistance, electronic with aural assistance, electronic only
or
> >or even some other means of which I am currenly unaware.
> >
> >All I'm asking is, what are these persons to call themselves, if not
piano
> >tuners?
> >
> >
> >
> >Keith McGavern
> >Registered Piano Technician
> >Oklahoma Chapter 731
> >Piano Technicians Guild
> >USA
> >
> >
>
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