<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" = http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content="MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV>Richard, Kristinn and Maria</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Richard, </DIV> <DIV>I also am self taught. For two reasons. 1. I am stubborn and wanted = to learn. 2. Piano Tuners can be stubborn also and refuse to teach you or = me for fear of competition.  When you have gained enough experience to = understand what is going on, then they will help you. Well that's been my = experience anyway.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I got pretty good too, never taken an official test but when your = peers say 'your good' I accept it.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>so far I have tried to teach 5 others to tune, the success rate of = 3 out of five is because 3 read books first, understood what was happening and = proved to me that they had the perseverance to learn this most difficult = profession.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Kirstinn,</DIV> <DIV>When a professional talks to a novice it should be in simple, clear = and precise terms that can be clearly understood. I don't classify myself as = a novice and I could not understand some of the comments.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Harsh comments, yes maybe too harsh on a thread I hadn't been = following, my finger has been hitting the delete button too often because I was = getting sick of reading about all the side comments of non piano stuff. The post as I = read it was to me " if your going to be a tuner, learn from a pro or just don't bother."  I don't know the financial circumstances of the other = party so I can't comment. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Sure, its quicker to learn from a human but if you can't find one = to teach you, then you can learn from books. (This is just putting your comment = around the other way.)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The harshness of the post was because of my bad liver or something = or someone's cluttering up the list with stupid back and forth chat. Like = "Puss i ljumsken, (did you puritans know that it means "a kiss in the groin" in = Swedish but is actually a friendly good-bye?)" etc etc etc. I am not a puritan = but this whole scene is just garbage. Would you like me to count the e-mails that = went back and forth over Maria's "shitty" word. ? What a waste of time, brain = power and eyestrain.</DIV> <DIV><BR>I don't want to scare anyone away but I also don't want anyone = else to scare prospective piano tuners away either.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Kirstinn, I guess that because I am 63 and you are 20 ? we look at = life differently. I was brought up in the school of hard knocks and had to = fight hard for everything I have achieved. You were lucky to have a father who = tunes pianos and he is lucky to have a son who wanted to be a piano tuner. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>It makes me sad that people don't see eye to eye on everything too, = but we are of different ages, cultures and upbringing so we have to accept that = this will happen.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>To me this list is for support, encouragement, help, assistance and = comradeship in the pianotech world and I guess when I see the above = not being carried out, I get upset. A little or a lot, depending on my = liver. </DIV> <DIV>.<BR><BR>Maria,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Sorry, I may have jumped on you a little too hard. Possibly because = you have just started your career as a piano tuner, you would be only to = well aware of all the problems that you encountered, just a short time ago when you = started learning.</DIV> <DIV>This knowledge is very important to any newbie and should be = imparted as that. Not as a "professional piano tuner" but as a NEW professional = piano tuner. To explain your thoughts as to why you said what you said would be, in = my opinion, a better way to go.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>you mentioned in one of your first posts that "As you've already = noticed, I have just started this career as a pianotuner and "pianofixer" and I = have wondered about what the heck Im doing....tuning and tuning and then some = and THIS is just the beginning! </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>To be able to impart your new won knowledge to others is a great gift, particularly as you can relate to others in the same age = group with greater ability.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Regards</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Tony Caught ICPTG<BR>Australia<BR><A href="mailto:caute@optusnet.com.au">caute@optusnet.com.au</A></DIV></BO= DY></HTML>