Being called out on stage

[Michael Magness]

On Dec 29, 2007 3:41 PM, Robin Stevens <pianobee at bigpond.com> wrote:

> Many years ago when Peter Nero came to my city (Adelaide, South Australia)
> I
> and two of my friends decided to see Peter who was very popular at that
> time. On arriving at the hall we sat in the back row of the packed hall
> and
> waited for the concert to start. A manager walked out onto the stage and
> asked...Is there a piano tuner in the house!! My two friends who, liked
> me,
> were well primed from the pre concert meal and drinks immediately jumped
> to
> their feet and pointed to me! Could I come up and see Peter, was the
> question? On going to the front of the hall, (to a arousing applause from
> the audience) I went back stage and met a very nervous Peter Nero who
> informed me the Steinway D's sustain pedal did not work! Could I have a
> look? My tools were miles away so I thought I would access the problem
> first
> and go from there. On going out onto the stage (to another arousing round
> of
> applause) I dropped to the floor on my back and noticed that the
> adjustment
> rod had half an inch travel before even engaging the dampers. When I tried
> to adjust the rod with my fingers I found the locking nut was beyond
> undoing
> with fingers! Going back stage again I asked the awaiting group if anyone
> had a adjustable spanner?...no such luck...my brain was going into a spin
> as
> to what to do next when I noticed some cardboard boxes in the corner.
> Tearing off a large piece I folded into what I thought was right for the
> space that had to be filled. Back on stage again (to another round of
> applause) the packing spacer was spot on ;-))
>
> Peter came onto the stage and started playing as if nothing had every
> happened.
>
>  In hindsight the town hall in those days used to hire a piano from the
> local Steinway dealer. None of their tuners were actually piano players
> and
> I assume whoever tuned it never sat and played a short piece after the
> tuning which would have indicated the pedal problem!!
> The question that might need to be asked...do non playing tuners have a
> check list they go through, rather than playing a small tune?
> Have a prosperous new year
> Robin Stevens ARPT
> South Australia
>
>
>
> Hi Robin,

I am a non-playing tuner/tech the problem you described would have been
discovered by me before I tuned my first note! I ALWAYS step on the sustain
pedal to lift the dampers from the strings prior to inserting my temperment
strip so that I don't "trap" any damper felt between unisons and "tear" it
when I play the note. I also observe the function of the piano as I tune
checking for proper hammer alignment, blubbering hammers and the many other
malfunctions we find day to day. I tune using earplugs, 20db, to save my
hearing but do my final checks without them since at that point I am not
pounding in my tuning and can listen for the small things I might have
missed with them in. I usually play all the way through the keyboard from
number 1 through 88 prior to inserting my temperment strip listening/feeling
for anything that may need attending to before I start, loose hammers,
cracked shanks, cracked keys, etc. I customarily check the sustenuto by
stepping down the sustain then the sustenuto and check to see that all of
the dampers remain up when I release the sustain. I check the shift/soft
pedal and make certain it PLAYS softer.
I live and work in the midwest section of America where our
humidity(indoors) changes from 90 to 100% in the summer months to 5 to 15%
in winter months and adds other things to check. I always liftup on the
hinge side of grands prior to raising the lid, I found a Steinway B in a
school auditorium where all of the hinge screws had fallen out and were
sitting inside on the soundboard. I've had others where the"movers" lost the
hingepins and the owners forgot to tell me. I also had a Yamaha with the lid
already up but the music desk/rack was very difficult to remove when I
finally got it out the block on the right side of the piano, the one the
prop stick screws to, fell off dropping th lid a few inches but luckily it
didn't come off the prop stick. I now lower tops until I remove the music
desk/rack. No, I don't play but I make up for it with a willingness to
learn, common sense and 38 years experience.
-- 
The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.
Michael Magness
Magness Piano Service
608-786-4404
www.IFixPianos.com
email mike at ifixpianos.com
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