Teaching Tuning

[Tom Sivak]

JFTR, I didn't just abandon the kid.  I tried to steer him in the right directions, including telling him about CSPT (since we're here in Chicago) and recommending he join the PTG.   He actually went to one of the First Tuesday classes (which the Chicago Chapter holds for Associates).  

He either has no money or is not interested in investing any towards the goal of learning to tune a piano.  He's a Theory and Composition major at a local college, so this may just be an "area of interest" to him, rather than a possible profession.

I probably learned as much as from him as he did from me.   At least now I know that teaching this stuff ain't for me!  I'll leave it to the professionals.

Tom Sivak



--- On Wed, 9/17/08, paulrevenkojones at aol.com <paulrevenkojones at aol.com> wrote:

> From: paulrevenkojones at aol.com <paulrevenkojones at aol.com>
> Subject: Re: Teaching Tuning
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Date: Wednesday, September 17, 2008, 12:30 AM
> Sure. The more professional schools, the better.
> 
> P
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jean and David Weiss <djweiss at ntelos.net>
> To: 'Pianotech List' <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Sent: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 7:01 pm
> Subject: RE: Teaching Tuning
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> And the University of Western Ontario!!!
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> David Weiss
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> From:
> pianotech-bounces at ptg.org
> [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
> paulrevenkojones at aol.com
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> Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 6:49 PM
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> To: tvaktvak at sbcglobal.net; pianotech at ptg.org
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> Subject: Re: Teaching Tuning
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> CSPT (Chicago
> School for Piano Technology)!? NBSS (North Bennett Street
> School)! 
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> Yup, it's difficult. You can find our entire curriculum
> out on our website,
> Tom. It's taken years to develop, and we're not
> done, ever.? While you're
> there, take a look at the graduates page, see what
> they're doing after one year
> of training.
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> Paul
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> -----Original Message-----
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> From: Tom Sivak <tvaktvak at sbcglobal.net>
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> To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org>
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> Sent: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 5:24 pm
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> Subject: Teaching Tuning
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> I have a new-found respect for those of you who teach
> others to tune.? I took on 
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> a student, albeit a not-too-serious one, this summer.? I
> have taught piano for 
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> nearly 20 years, I used to teach college level music
> theory; I thought I could 
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> be a good tuner-teacher, too.?? Not so.? Knowing what
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> necessarily make you able to teach that to others.
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> My theory, as to why this was so difficult for me, is that
> I basically taught 
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> myself how to do all this stuff.? Sure, I had tutoring
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> RPTs here in my area, but for the most part, I read, I
> watched others 
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> critically, I attended all the PTG meetings and Institutes
> I could, and I bought 
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> old junker pianos and regulated, reconditioned, and
> partially rebuilt them.? 
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> I didn't really do it all by myself, but there was no
> curriculum I followed, nor 
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> any logical course of action other than trying to absorb
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> So when it came time to pass this knowledge down, I had no
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> basic lesson plans that progressed from one step to
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> tuning exercizes to help this youngster learn how to tune.?
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> Perhaps a more serious student might have made me feel a
> little better about the 
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> job I did, but I don't blame the student.? I think
> I'm just no good at it.? I 
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> don't foresee taking on any other students in the
> future.
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> No response necessary from anyone on this post.? Just
> wanted to express my 
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> gratitude to those who helped me get a start, and my
> admiration for those of you 
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> who have the talent to teach others.
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> Tom Sivak
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> Chicago
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