I've often been asked about the nuts and bolts of assessing a piano, even before a technician lays his hands on it. (A Registered pro will explore facets of internal assembly while my journey of discovery is intuitively tactile and tonal, forged on behalf of students searching for an alternative to the digital universe.) The… Continue reading Evaluating an Acoustic piano before purchase
I couldn't resist an opportunity to immerse myself in an engaging dialog with Israel Stein, RPT, as he was tuning my piano. Regaled far and wide by a community of pianists and teachers as he amasses awards bestowed by his peers at the National Piano Technician's Guild, Stein remains thoroughly dedicated to what seems like… Continue reading A Conversation about machine and ear tuning (and more) with Israel Stein, Registered Piano Technician
Israel Stein is one of a kind. An award winning, Registered Piano Technician, he's been recognized nationally by the Piano Technicians Guild (PTG) and continues to tune, voice, regulate, re-build and consult on pianos that prospective buyers are considering. He's also a creme de la creme PIANO EXAMINER at the Guild and gives classes at… Continue reading The final word on piano buzzes from Israel Stein, master piano technician
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89mKlNyi6_4 Yesterday Haddy underwent a necessary procedure. She was ear tuned by Jeff Wood, (RPT--Registered Piano Technician) who drove in from Kingsburg, a Swedish enclave in the Central Valley. Haddy, however, did not get a cheesy work-over by any means. She was fine tuned and toned by an expert who "beat" the dickens out of… Continue reading Haddy Haddorff is ear tuned and shows her stuff (from jazz to Classical)-two videos
I'm always surprised by the condition of many private party market used pianos, as if a double standard is operating when comparing a house sale to a piano sale. I will sometimes walk into a home that is on the market that is clean and sparkling while the offered musical instrument is dusty, out of… Continue reading The double standard as applied to used pianos and their sale
In this part two follow-up to York's World War II Memoir, the seasoned piano tuner relaxes into his emblematic animated conversation, telling the world how to eradicate mice, rats, and moths from pianos. Oldsters watching better have a fresh pair of Depends, because York lets loose with some mighty over the top, funny lines. Throw… Continue reading Piano Tuner, York on Mice, Rats, Moths and Cats (Video, part 2)
"Alice," the owner of an unidentified player, is seen above. On a sultry Friday morning before a long Memorial Day weekend, I stumbled upon a Fresno Bee ad for a brand-less “piano,” sandwiched among “moving sale” items. The seller’s address traced to a working class neighborhood in south Fresno that probably wouldn’t house a pricey… Continue reading A Player Piano Without a Name
This is such a sticky area, and the pun is intended. How frustrating to imagine a delicate pianissimo, want to produce it, and find that a note or notes won't spring forth with the beauty that a player had intended. For me, it had become painfully obvious that my Steinway M grand, 1917 which had… Continue reading About Regulation and Tuning: My piano cried out for help!
Arioso7's Blog (Shirley Kirsten) 