<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html> Friends, I am certainly not a pianist.  I agree that being able to play well would be an asset.  On the other hand, for us non-pianists, what we really need is what I will call deep education and experience. When I go to service a piano, I ask the client if there is anything other than tuning that they want me to check out.  If they say no, I plan to do just the tuning, but I may notice something that needs attention.  Since they did not perceive a problem, I may say that the problem should be corrected, but that no harm will be done if we plan to do it next time.  That helps to keep my schedule sane. I could probably count on one hand the times I felt the customer's requirements were beyond my level of expertise.  In those cases I say we can't all specialize in everything, and I refer them to someone who can meet their needs.  I am not aware that this approach has ever diminished my reputation.  If anything, people might respect me more. Yesterday I worked on two old beaters, but I hope that neither will ever be condemned and discarded, but rather completely rebuilt.  They have cases "to die for" -- very few like them around anymore.  Maybe I'll get into doing that kind of thing as a hobby someday.  The owners know and recognize that the musical capabilities of both instruments are quite limited in their current condition. Regards, Clyde Hollinger, RPT Lititz, PA, USA Farrell wrote: <blockquote TYPE=CITE>I think it is always an asset to be able to play piano for the tech. But I have met quite a few very accomplished techs that do not play. I think it can be a bit like being blind - you learn other ways to do or feel the same thing.</blockquote> </html>