<HTML><HTML> In a message dated 6/2/07 12:48:55 PM, annie@allthingspiano.com writes: "And what I meant was that the difference between a piano technician and a piano tooner is exactly that ability to reach beyond personal experience and do extra-ordinatry work." Annie there is a difference between a piano 'tuner' and a piano 'tooner'...... A tuner tunes pianos to acceptable standards whereas a 'tooner' does not, for whatever reasons. "Tooner" is usually used as a derogatory term but I'm sure you didn't mean it in that manner. <BLOCKQUOTE CITE STYLE="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px" TYPE="CITE">"That's the part I don't get: how do you know whether the piano works correctly if you can't play it? Maybe that's one distinction between a "tuner" and a "technician"." </BLOCKQUOTE> As a 'tuner' who does 'not' play I'm not sure that I undertand where your source of confusion comes from about knowing when a piano works correctly or not.  As the things we listen for while tuning are vastly different than the things we listen to when the piano is being played I don't see the connection. Is it possible that being a bonafide 'playing' 'technician' is detrimental to the customer??.....after all don't we bring our own notions of 'correct' into play when we decide what to do to a certain piano or certain note...such as sic:' I want it to feel this way when the customer wants something different but your experience in playing will not let you listen to the customer. :-)  {that is a generic we/you and not a you Annie} Wheras a 'non-playing tuner will listen more closely to the customer without any preconceived notions as to 'right and wrong' simply because they need to listen closer ?? Phil's response was right on target as to the airplane mechanic who works on your plane while not being able to fly one was right on target. There are principles involved in flight as well as pianos that do not depend on the end use of the product...if these principles are adhered to then the end result will be more than acceptable............ Some food for thought Annie...we allow our members to reach the highest recognition level in PTG after having passed at an 80% level on all their tests...would you feel comfortable flying in an airplane that a mechanic had performed his/her duties at an 80% level? :-) So I suppose what I am saying thar whether we play or not if we listen to the customer, as Les pointed out, and satisfy their desires as best we can than isn't that what being a technician/tuner is all about? My Thoughts. Jim Bryant (FL) ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.</HTML>