[Jeff Tanner]

Hi Alan,
For a class of this perspective, I would recommend that the book "The Piano
Shop on the Left Bank", by Thad Carhart (2001), be required reading.  It
was recently recommended to me by one of our piano professors who
accidentally happened upon it, and I purchased it this week.  I'm only
about 1/4 through the book, but can already see the value it would have for
anyone who has even a passing interest in the piano!

I don't do much book reading, but I have found it quite enchanting
(particularly from our perspective!).

Jeff

Alan McCoy wrote:
>The idea I have for the class is basically to enhance communication between
>pianists and technicians. So many pianists are clueless about their
>instrument. I want to address that so that especially piano majors know what
>is possible for a given piano and know how to ask for it. So my aim is not
>to train someone to be a technician, but to teach about the piano from a
>technical perspective. I will most likely approach this from a practical
>point of view covering things like naming notes (D5 instead of "the D two
>octaves above mid C), historical temperaments, naming piano parts, knowing
>how actions work, pulling in a unison, answering the basic questions we all
>hear (how often should I tune....etc) that sort of thing.
>
>Alan

Jeff Tanner
Piano Technician
School of Music
813 Assembly ST
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208
(803)-777-4392
jtanner@mozart.sc.edu