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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I call it the "school of hard-knocks".</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>By the way, Shearing's II-V7-I trick is
built around the song "Laura", which utilizes a series of II-V7-I progressions.
Shearing had a clever exercise which went through all keys and voiced in
the same manner as "Laura". The ninth of the chord was always the leading
tone . Very cool, very easy, and especially very workable if one were
blind, like George. Talk about a guy who's sensory system more than made up for
his lack of eyesight. An extremely brilliant mind...and a heck of a nice
guy.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Tom Servinsky</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=annie@allthingspiano.com href="mailto:annie@allthingspiano.com">Annie
Grieshop</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, June 03, 2007 11:31
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: Do you play piano?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250302403-04062007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2>Tom, that's wonderful. To get pointers from Borge and Shearing --
how cool is that? I need to go try that progression.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250302403-04062007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250302403-04062007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2>Educators talk about "syntonic" knowledge -- first-hand, personal,
applied knowledge, as opposed to "book learning". That seems to be what
you're describing in the way your previous technical training "clicked" onced
you started to play seriously.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250302403-04062007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250302403-04062007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2>Thanks.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250302403-04062007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250302403-04062007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2>Annie Grieshop</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org
[mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Tom
Servinsky<BR><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, June 03, 2007 7:45 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
Pianotech List<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: Do you play
piano?<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'll take this being able to play issue a step
further. It wasn't until I started to develop as a working cocktail pianist
that I started to appreciate the full role of the piano
technician.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Sure, at that point I had
already past the RPT and CTE exams, attended most of the manufacture
seminars and attended most of the conventions. But it wasn't until I started
to play the piano on a much more serious level that things began to
click.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> I noticed myself becoming more frustrated
when the action wouldn't respond to a fast piece that I was trying to
play. I started to notice that voicing wasn't as even as I thought that it
was. I began to listen to the quality of tone on a much more
defined level. I started to be much more critical of what
tuning should be. I started to develop another perspective of
tuning. And voicing...well I could go on and on with that
topic.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Like many of you, I have my degree in music
performance and education. I still play professionally as a orchestral
clarinetist, playing with several orchestras and opera companies. But I
didn't study piano as a child, although my parents tried to force it on
me. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> It wasn't until I was teaching in the
schools that I started to use the piano on a daily basis. It quickly
became my tool of choice during lessons. I was always a good score reader
and had a well developed ear so I was able get by faking. Slowly
but surely I began to play the piano more and more. Then I began to
become very curious about the workings of the piano and one thing led to
another, and soon I was enrolled piano technology
program.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Fast forward 28 yrs , I have had the good
fortune to have worked with many of the great touring
pianists. I have had impromptu lessons with Victor Borge,George
Shearing, and many others. I worked with Victor Borge over
a 15 yr period when he was in Florida. He would force me to play some
Debussy for him while he listened to the piano in the
auditorium. Instead of finding fault in the piano, he would start
criticizing my playing. When he realized that I was more or less
self-taught pianist, he started to lighten up on me and started to give
me constructive pointers..</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> George Shearing showed me the art of
"closed" voicing with a very cool II-V7-I progression in all keys.
What an eye-opener! Slowly I started to pay close attention to the
technique and approach of the touring artists. Through osmosis I
started develop a decent quality to my play. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My advise to young technicians who don't play
the piano, learn. It's never to late.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>You'll discover that it's good for your
business.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>It broadens your knowledge of why we do what we
do.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Most of all, it's good for the
soul. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Isn't that one of things we are to be promoting
to our clients?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Tom Servinsky</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
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<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=piannaman@aol.com
href="mailto:piannaman@aol.com">piannaman@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, June 03, 2007 5:09
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Do you play piano?</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Good post, Tom. I agree with you that we don't have to play
well to be a great tech, but playing enhances one's appreciation of
the work we do for a living. And I'll add that being a
technician has enhanced my ability to listen to others I'm
playing music with.<BR><BR>Dave Stahl</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid">Not
that you need to be fine player in order to achieve high levels of
technical ability. But rather,developing a reasonable or advance level
of playing ability can benefit you in gaining a greater appreciation and
understanding of the finer aspects of fine tuning, regulation, and
voicing. For me, it's broadens your understanding and empathy for the
role we play for the pianists, our customers. <BR>Tom
Servinsky <BR>----- Original Message ----- From: "Gregor _" <<A
href="mailto:karlkaputt@hotmail.com"
__doClobber__="true">karlkaputt@hotmail.com</A>> <BR>To: <<A
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org"
__doClobber__="true">pianotech@ptg.org</A>> <BR>Sent: Sunday,
June 03, 2007 7:17 AM <BR>Subject: RE: Do you play
piano? <BR> <BR>> >From: "Elwood
Doss" <BR>> <BR>> Is not being able to play well a
handicap? I don't <BR>>>think it is for me. As far as I know,
I've had no
dissatisfied <BR>>>customers. <BR>> <BR>> <BR>>
You don´t have to play well. It´s enough to be able to play one or two
> songs. Perhaps it´s not a necessity but it´s a huge advantage. I
remember > situations when I regulated a piano and thought to have
done everything > correct. But playing that instrument showed me that
there is something > going wrong which I never would have noticed
without playing. <BR>> <BR>>
Gregor </BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>
<DIV style="CLEAR: both">Dave Stahl, RPT<BR><BR>Dave Stahl Piano
Service<BR>650-224-3560<BR>dstahlpiano@sbcglobal.net<BR>http://dstahlpiano.net/<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR></DIV><BR><BR>-----Original
Message-----<BR>From: Tom Servinsky <TOMPIANO@BELLSOUTH.NET><BR>To:
Pianotech List <PIANOTECH@PTG.ORG><BR>Sent: Sun, 3 Jun 2007 7:15
am<BR>Subject: Re: Do you play piano?<BR><BR>
<DIV id=AOLMsgPart_0_dff5d5cd-6a4e-4d6e-966e-a10b57812914
style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff">Not
that you need to be fine player in order to achieve high levels of
technical ability. But rather,developing a reasonable or advance level of
playing ability can benefit you in gaining a greater appreciation and
understanding of the finer aspects of fine tuning, regulation, and
voicing. For me, it's broadens your understanding and empathy for the role
we play for the pianists, our customers. <BR>Tom
Servinsky <BR>----- Original Message ----- From: "Gregor _" <<A
href="mailto:karlkaputt@hotmail.com">karlkaputt@hotmail.com</A>> <BR>To:
<<A
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>> <BR>Sent:
Sunday, June 03, 2007 7:17 AM <BR>Subject: RE: Do you play
piano? <BR> <BR>> >From: "Elwood
Doss" <BR>> <BR>> Is not being able to play well a
handicap? I don't <BR>>>think it is for me. As far as I know,
I've had no
dissatisfied <BR>>>customers. <BR>> <BR>> <BR>>
You don´t have to play well. It´s enough to be able to play one or two
> songs. Perhaps it´s not a necessity but it´s a huge advantage. I
remember > situations when I regulated a piano and thought to have done
everything > correct. But playing that instrument showed me that there
is something > going wrong which I never would have noticed without
playing. <BR>> <BR>> Gregor <BR>> <BR>>
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