Category: piano tuner

El Cerrito, El Cerrito piano studio, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Mark Schecter, piano maintenance, piano teacher, piano tuner, Registered piano technician, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten

Piano Technician Call Back: Please fix these notes! (Before and After Video)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Growing up in New York City, I had a memorable, rotund tuner named Buchbaum, who talked my ear off while tuning a Sohmer upright. Consequently, he left the piano with "beating" octaves, thirds, and sixths. In so may words, the piano not only took a beating, but it warbled all over the place, causing widespread… Continue reading Piano Technician Call Back: Please fix these notes! (Before and After Video)

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Windex on ivory keys: Did it remove the gray spots?

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

There was definitely an improvement after Mark scrubbed the whites and even the black key OFFENDERS with Windex. I don't believe, however, that the gray will ever be totally removed because it had become ingrained into the keys by its introduction through supposedly "shoe-dyed" ebonies. (See https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/piano-maintenance-teaser-graying-ivories-and-a-squeaky-note/) Here are photos that I took 24-hours post… Continue reading Windex on ivory keys: Did it remove the gray spots?

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My Baldwin grand piano gets its first diagnostic, tune-up, and regulation

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

It sounds like I'm talking about a used car. For Mark Schecter, Registered piano technician it might as well be. He emphasizes that the piano has thousands of parts that must work harmoniously to make playing a smooth and pleasurable journey over the 88s. In the case of my blind date Baldwin, "the old car… Continue reading My Baldwin grand piano gets its first diagnostic, tune-up, and regulation

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The original article in the Piano Quarterly that inspired an examination of the piano tuner/technician landscape

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

RELATED: https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/11/05/treading-on-hallowed-ground-the-challenge-of-maintaining-fine-pianos-after-a-personal-tragedy/ https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/11/06/the-voices-of-piano-technicians-around-the-country/

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The voices of piano technicians around the country

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I had the invaluable opportunity to interview various Registered Piano Technicians around the country about various aspects of their profession. First, to become a RPT, the candidate takes an exam that's administered through the Piano Technician's Guild (PTG) which has branches in cities all over the country. Since piano tuning is not a licensed profession,… Continue reading The voices of piano technicians around the country

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The iPhone Invades Piano Lessons

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Monday, Jan. 24th, was a first! Esmeralda, a retired attorney, who'd been taking lessons from me for a year, entered my El Cerrito piano studio with a bright red iPhone as a sign of the times. A dangling rectangular prism packed with limitless software had replaced her simple gold cross. This latest "look" included a… Continue reading The iPhone Invades Piano Lessons

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A Table Style Piano with Three Leaves–the whole story in lurid detail

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Two days following my encounter with the towering no name upright, I was drawn to a Fresno Bee Classified ad, that listed an antique ”Counsel piano” for sale at “$1500 or best offer.” (First thing that popped into my head was Indian pow-wow- tribal "council?") What on earth was a Counsel? I snatched up my… Continue reading A Table Style Piano with Three Leaves–the whole story in lurid detail

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A Day with Two Piano Finalists

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

A Kawai and Chickering were in a tight race, until one took off and surpassed the other. My whole Saturday was consumed with evaluating two pianos: a practically brand new "Kawai" 5'1" grand and a larger, nearly 5'8" size "Chickering," 1980. The Kawai captured my interest because a smaller studio upright of the same brand… Continue reading A Day with Two Piano Finalists

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Fighting for a Dream Piano (Hopefully it should not come to this)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

This writing, true to the last detail is meant to give piano buyers a heads up about how to handle a situation where an Oral Agreement may be breached by a seller. The following ad was placed at the on line Fresno Bee Classifieds website: Published 07/12/07 00:00:00 PIANO Baldwin Baby Grand cherry, xlnt cond… Continue reading Fighting for a Dream Piano (Hopefully it should not come to this)

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Do’s and Don’ts for Piano Buyers and Sellers (Dream Piano’s last Chapter)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

DO’s for Buyers If possible take along a Registered Piano Technician and performing pianist with a good pair of ears to evaluate a used or new piano on the market. You can find a list of RPT members at your Piano Technicians’ Guild online site, or look in the business or Yellow Pages for the… Continue reading Do’s and Don’ts for Piano Buyers and Sellers (Dream Piano’s last Chapter)