voicing learning curve

[Michelle Smith]

Hi Ed.  I'm obviously not Julia but I'll tell you one thing that really got
my business moving when I first started out (which was just a year ago).  I
can't take credit for this idea because I got it out of the Randy Potter
course.  

I basically told everyone I knew that I was starting a tuning business and
that for $XX I would come and evaluate their piano, provide a tuning
(repairs were extra), and then return in 3 months to inspect/improve on my
tuning.  These were mostly pianos that were in serious need of love and my
friends were just happy to help me out and get their piano playing again.  

Two things happened as a result:

1. I quickly learned to do basic repairs that all clunkers need.
2. I had a great opportunity to see how my tunings were holding up without
having to wait a whole year to see them again.  

I hope this information helps.  Eventually, you just have to jump out there.
I heard from someone the other day that a customer has to see a business
name an average of 6 times to act on the services that business has to
offer.  Find ways to inexpensively get your name out there and get after it!

Best wishes.

Michelle Smith
Smith Piano Service
Bastrop, Texas


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of ed miller
Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 3:28 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: voicing learning curve

Hi Julia,

Thanks for your input on voicing.

I was interested to hear that you've been in business 3.5 years (I assume 
that means you've been learning the trade about that amount of time as 
well). As I said stated in the voicing question I posed to the List, I have 
been at this piano trade for about 2 years- including formal education, an 
apprenticeship and a handful of clients. Since you are relatively new to 
this business as well, I wonder if you wouldn't mind sharing some insight 
with me about your experience....

I am about to take more aggressive action to gain a clientele. How did you 
go about this in the very beginning (the stage where you were skillful 
enough to start offering your services, but not so skilled that you were as 
competant as many other piano technicians)? I worry about things, such as: 
that it still takes too long for me to do a tuning, that I'll be confronted 
with many situations where I cannot adequately solve a problem, that if I 
charge to little for my services now it will be difficult to raise them at 
the fast rate that my skills are increasing, among other worries...

I wonder if you could share your thoughts on this awkward stage that seems 
to be a "catch 22", whereby I'm barely skilled enough to work on other 
peoples pianos- but the only way I can be skilled  enough is to work on 
other peoples piano.

Thanks for your input.
Ed


>From: KeyKat88 at aol.com
>Reply-To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
>To: pianotech at ptg.org
>Subject: Re: voicing learning curve
>Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2007 22:13:33 EST
>
>Greetings,
>
>     I am in business for about 3 1/2 years. For what this is worth, 
>througout
>this time at various times, I have been called to voice some pianos for 
>local
>celebreties and usually the comp[laint is the same; the piano sounds too
>shrill or hard.
>
>    I merely "sugar coat" the hammers. This means very lightly neeedling 
>the
>area very close to the strike point and a bit right on the strike point. 
>Works
>for them... and for me. However I am planning on learning more as  I am 
>more
>able to attend PTG conventions.
>
>Julia Gottshall
>REading, PA
>In a message dated 2/5/2007 4:25:07 PM Eastern Standard Time,
>edmiller3 at hotmail.com writes:
>Hello,
>
>I'm looking for some voicing advice (mentoring). I'm two years into 
>learning
>the piano trade and have learned a great deal already in the realm of
>tuning, regulating and repairing (though I know there's MUCH more to 
>learn).
>I've found that most skills are pretty straight foward, they just take a
>little doing to get the hang of.
>
>Voicing, on the other hand, seems to me to be the most nuanced skill of 
>them
>all. I'm a bit intimidated by it. There are so many techniques that I have
>read about. I'm sure most of them have merit, but none of them mean 
>anything
>if the technician has not developed a fine ear for tonal quality and
>characterstics, and the subtle changes that can be achieved by manipulating
>the hammers.
>
>I'm intereted in hearing any thoughts on how one develops this skill. I'm
>less interested in specific techniques. I'm more looking for insight into
>the process of learning to be a quality voicing technician. Possibly some
>some stories from your own voicing learning process.
>
>Any thoughts would be appreciated.
>Thanks,
>Ed

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