I agree. Many times, I'll start tuning the piano after briefly looking for the problem thinking to myself, oh brother, another his or that or another funny noise.. One that you know full well you know what it is but, are just drawing a brain... f.. on it. All of a sudden, during the tuning when you think about it the least, it pops up. Oh yeah! I remember now... Saves a bunch of time looking for it then too... Jer Groot RPT -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Byron Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2009 3:22 PM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: Re: [pianotech] Zen and the Art of Piano Maintenance I find that when I'm doing something repetitive that it is best to listen to a podcast or a book. Then I can put the task in automatic pilot and cruse through it happily. If I just concentrate on the job at hand I seem to rush or obsess about how mind numbingly boring the task is. There seems to be no difference in the quality of work done - just that I've been entertained or have learned something. I've read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and would say that solving the riddle of the problem with his bike was not necessarily focus. I'd say it was being mindful of the problem and solving it after many days of gnawing at the problem - through a myriad of his personal distractions. How many of us have solved a problem or reached an important conclusion after a long distance drive? -----Original Message----- From: John Dorr [mailto:a440 at bresnan.net] Sent: May-13-09 9:48 AM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: [pianotech] Zen and the Art of Piano Maintenance John Dorr wrote: I think about this sometimes when I'm doing something repetitive but demanding, like shaping hammers. Sometimes I wish I had a radio, but that might distract me from doing this otherwise kind of "menial" job well enough. Sometimes I find that if I just look and touch and observe with a mind empty of preconceptions the answers to the diagnostic riddles seem to appear on their own. How do others on the list feel about these things? Distraction versus focus. The Zen of Piano Repair. John Dorr Helena, MT _____ avast! Antivirus <http://www.avast.com> : Outbound message clean. Virus Database (VPS): 090513-0, 05/13/2009 Tested on: 5/13/2009 4:17:30 PM avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2009 ALWIL Software.
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