In need of some encouragement

[ed440 at mindspring.com]

Dave-

Congratulations on your commitment, and on being 2/3 of the way there!

The learning curve to become a good piano technician has a pretty steep beginning, and that includes not just tuning, but also business and self-management skills.

No one can learn all of it instantly, and some things can only be learned as the opportunity for learning appears.

Do you have access to a good, clean, large and well-scaled piano for tuning practice?  This is especially important for a person learning alone, because you don't have a teacher to tell you to disregard this or that odd beating partial. Give yourself the time you need to learn, and commit to a pace that enables you to enjoy it.

One of the great things about this field is that shy people can develop a business practice based on their strengths, such as focus, commitment and integrity.  It takes a while for the word to get around, but when it does, the phone rings because they want _you_, not just a cheap tuning.

When your skills and reputation are established, you will find piano technology to be a very joyful career.

Sincerely,
Ed Sutton

-----Original Message-----
>From: "David B. Stang" <stangdave at columbus.rr.com>
>Sent: Sep 8, 2006 12:57 PM
>To: pianotech at ptg.org
>Subject: In need of some encouragement
>
>Friends,
>I'm feeling a little bit discouraged for two reasons.
>
>First, I am really struggling with my aural temperament tuning. I 
>understand intellectually how it is supposed to fit together, how all 
>the intervals ought to beat, and so on. But I have been practicing at 
>home and at customers' homes for a few months now, and I still just 
>can't do it right. By "do it right" I mean get it close enough to pass 
>the RPT exam (I use my ETD to test myself). My main problem, I think, 
>is, I just can't always hear the beats. For instance, I can nearly 
>always hear the F3-A3 Major 3rd, and the F3-D4 6th. But I struggle to 
>hear the A3-C#4 and especially struggle to hear the C#4-F4. I can't 
>percieve those faster beats. And sometimes I can't hear the beating even 
>when it's supposed to be slow. Sometimes the 5ths and 4ths are loud and 
>clear; other times they are not there at all. Are my ears the problem? 
>Is it my brain?
>
>Second, I am discouraged with my business. I could use some more 
>customers. I have gotten every kind of marketing advice imaginable - 
>that's not what I need. I am unhappy because I am kind of shy, and I 
>just don't do some of those assertive things that many business people 
>do. It doesn't come naturally for me to sell myself. (Like my friend Jon 
>Ralinovsky who was just e-ridiculed on this list, for simply posting the 
>link to the Cincinnati Seminar without tooting his own horn about the 
>good stuff he has lined up!) Maybe I don't have the right personality to 
>run my own business.
>
>Any words of wisdom would be appreciated.
>Thanks
>
>David B. Stang, 2/3-rds of the way toward RPT
>Columbus, Ohio
>
>
>