Hi Julia...
In a word for me...YES...it does bother me at times to the point of wincing. Call me nuts but does not long for me to detect a piano that needs tuning aurally.
Hello to all here on the list and thanks for continuing a wealth of information. Sincerely appreciated.
Marc P. Mailhot
Marco Polo Music
Westbrook ME USA
The Love You Take is Equal to the Love You Make...
The Beatles/Abbey Road (The End)...1969
--- On Fri, 5/8/09, pianotech-request at ptg.org <pianotech-request at ptg.org> wrote:
From: pianotech-request at ptg.org <pianotech-request at ptg.org>
Subject: pianotech Digest, Vol 7, Issue 80
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Date: Friday, May 8, 2009, 8:53 AM
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: Hammer Line Issue (Ed Sutton)
2. Restoration photos - one more chance to get on list (Chuck Behm)
3. Re: pictures received (Scott Jackson)
4. Re: Restoration photos - one more chance to get on list
(James H Frazee)
5. Question about perfect pitch (KeyKat88 at aol.com)
6. Re: Question about perfect pitch (Tom Sivak)
Matthew-
To be an effective technician, you need to learn to diagnose problems effectively.
In this situation, for example, it is often a 10 minute repair if you start with the right diagnosis.
You are in a large metropolitan area.
You should be able to find someone to serve as a mentor and give you some hands-on help.
In the right store, a year or two of dealer work would give you opportunities to learn under direct supervision and gain the experience you need.
Please ask your chapter for help.
Ed
----- Original Message -----
From: Israel Stein
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 9:01 PM
Subject: [pianotech] Hammer Line Issue
Hello,
I have followed this with a great deal of interest, and at this point I feel myself compelled to chime in. The hammer bobbling, or dithering or whatever you want to call it (assuming that this is strictly a regulation problem) can be caused by either the keydip being too shallow, or the strike distance being too long. If the problem is the keydip, this in turn could have been caused by the key level having dropped (due to settling of the balance punchings) or whatever other reason. Before deciding what to do, one should:
1. Measure the strike distance. If it's 2 inches - the problem isn't keydip.
2. Measure the keydip. If it's 7/16 in. (11 mm.) or more - I wouldn't go any deeper...
3. Check the key level with relation to the keyslip. Is there a "dip" in the middle of the keyboard? Well, then you level the keys before going any further. Of course to do this, one needs to know the parameters for key level with relation to the balance pins, key slip, front pin, etc.
Matthew, like the man said - learn how the action works and how the various functions interrelate. And get familiar with plausible regulation specs. Get the manufacturer's specs and see if the piano is anywhere close to them.
Just telling Matthew to "do this" and "do that" without any context doesn't do much good either for his learning curve or for his client... Often this sort of approach will solve a problem at the cost of creating two new ones. Sort of like digging a second hole to bury the dirt from digging the first one.
Israel Stein
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Hello all - One more time I want to encourage anyone who has given the idea of branching out from a tuning / repair business into something more complete to take me up on my offer of receiving an on-going photographic record of a restoration in progress. If you've ever have the idea of clearing out some garage space, constructing a work bench and bringing home a piano to tear into on your own, this opportunity is for meant for you.
This will be a more complete journal of pictures than we have ever done in the past. So far, Dave and I have torn the case down and begun stripping parts,and removed and miked the strings. While we are not going to do absolutely everything that could be done to this piano, we are going to do a lot, and plenty of procedures will be covered in the process.
So far, I've sent out 2 batches of photos, totaling 38 shots, with captions for every photograph. I'm going to really try to include pictures of every "trick of the trade" that I know in the process. While I certainly don't know everything there is to know (no one does), I have learned quite a bit in the past three and a half decades of working on pianos, and I am willing to share everything I've learned. This isn't the fried chicken business, after all. There are no secret recipes here.
Thinking back to when I started in this business, I know this type of on-going record would have been invaluable, in that a lot of things that I had to learn by trial and error (and believe me, I had plenty of those) would have been made clear. Although I read and reread every issue of the Journal, and all the books on the subject that I could find, there was nothing like this available anywhere. We live in a marvelous age.
I would love to see some other technicians follow up on this and produce photographic records of work in process in their own shops. There are some procedures I've never tried that I would be fascinated in watching in progress. Those of you with more advanced techniques and elaborate shops, please give this some thought.
Anyway, one last time, if you would like to be included, just respond on the list to this offer, or e-mail me directly, and I'll add you to my mailing list. I'll start by sending you the 2 batches of photos and commentary which I've already sent out to catch you up with what's been done so far.
I've been really encouraged by the number of people showing interest already. The willingness of people to share their knowledge with others really makes this a great profession. Chuck
mmm, everyone actually....
----- Original Message -----
From: MPianotex at aol.com
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Friday, May 08, 2009 10:26 AM
Subject: Re: [pianotech] pictures received
You're sending the emails to me too.(Marty)
Thanks for your work and offer; please include me in your photo distributions.
Greetings,
Are people with "perfect pitch" really bothered by music played on an old upright that is tuned say, 60 cents or a half step flat because it cant be brought up to pitch?
Thank you,
Julia
PA
A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps!Depends on the person. I think it would distract me, at least at times.
Distract me in the sense of, wait a minute, what key is this piece in, now?
My ear, or actually my brain, I guess, will quantize the pitches up or down.
At 60 cents flat, basically right in the middle, my brain would recognize some
of the pitches/chords up a half step, and others down. This would make it
difficult in a piece, like Bach for instance, that modulates from one key to the
next.
I have recordings of the Berlin Philharmonic performing the Beethoven
Symphonies. I don't know how sharp they tuned, but at times I start to hear
things up a half step from where I know they are written. Like the 7th Symphony
in A Major for instance--in the exposition of the opening movement, Beethoven
stays in the key of A and finishes in E---my ear/brain easily goes along with
the ride, sharp though it may be. Sounds like A major to me, because I know
that it's in A.
But once I hear the development section, and Beethoven starts going through the
circle of fifths, I realize that I am recognizing some of the chords up a half
step. I know this because as we approach the recap, it sounds like it's
going to be in Bb major instead of A.
Of course, at the instant of realizing this, I instantly flip back into the
right key in my head and all is fine through the end of the movement.
So, for me, a piano that was specifically 60 cents flat would bother me in
certain musical situations. If the music was a popular tune or something that
basically stays in one key, it wouldn't bother me all that much.
At least not as much as out of tune unisons, or a bass section that was 20
cents sharper than the steel strings. THAT drives me nutz!
Tom Sivak
Chicago
--- On Fri, 5/8/09, KeyKat88 at aol.com <KeyKat88 at aol.com> wrote:
> From: KeyKat88 at aol.com <KeyKat88 at aol.com>
> Subject: [pianotech] Question about perfect pitch
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Date: Friday, May 8, 2009, 12:38 PM
> Greetings,
>
> Are people with "perfect pitch" really
> bothered by music played
> on an old upright that is tuned say, 60 cents or a half
> step flat because it
> cant be brought up to pitch?
>
>
> Thank you,
> Julia
> PA
> **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See
> yours in just 2 easy
> steps!
>
(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221322931x1201367171/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=115&bcd
> =May5509AvgfooterNO115)
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