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Greetings!
You may have noticed that we sent out the
May newsletter a little early! The Greene Music News will be going out
at the beginning of the month now - we thought that it might make it
easier to look at your calendar and make plans to attend concerts,
workshops, and other special events. Check it out - there are many
opportunities in May to hear great music and learn more about pianos!
Do
you have any questions or comments? Click here and send us a note!
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What makes a Steinway piano so special?
Enjoy an intimate hour with two masters in their fields, a concert pianist and a piano technician/rebuilder
Karen Davis
A pianist's point of view
Saturday, May 8
1:00 pm and 4:00 pm
Click here to learn more about Karen and hear samples of her beautiful music!
Karen Davis is a world-traveled concert pianist and historian
who lives here in San Diego (Fortunately for us!).
Have you heard that every Steinway is a little different? Karen will play a variety of compositions and talk about the touch and tone of individual Steinway pianos. Each hand-made piano presents the player with
a unique musical experience.
Russell Berklely
A technician's point of view
Saturday,
May 22
1:00 pm and 4:00 pm
For 30 years, Russel has been a registered piano technician, and owns his own piano rebuilding shop in San Diego. He services and repairs all makes and models of fine grand pianos and specializes in tuning, repair, rebuilding, restoration, refinishing, and CD player piano system installation. Get an expert insider's view of just what makes a Steinway tick -
bring your curiosity and your questions!
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IN CONCERT 
St. Francis Place
Jazz Band
"The Re-Birth of Cool Jazz"
If you love jazz, this quintet will remind you of masters like Miles Davis, Lester Young, Chet Baker, Dave Brubeck, Stan Getz and more. If you're new to jazz or maybe on the fence, you just might come away with an appreciation for this beautiful American art form.
St. Francis Place will entertain you with a style that isn't too
abstract or aggressive - in other words, just right!
Sunday, May 16 at 4:00pm
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What is the difference between a piano tuner
and a piano technician?
Who is qualified to service your piano?
There is no licensing of piano technicians, or any requirement
for proof
of competency. It is up to you to inquire about the background of
anyone
you consider paying to work on your piano. Your piano is both a
musical
instrument and a machine. You should only entrust it to a
qualified technician.
A technician can service your instrument, not just tune
it.
Important questions and why to ask them:
How were you trained and by whom?
It is highly unlikely that anyone can learn to
tune pianos
well without training and a lot of feedback from a highly
experienced
piano technician. Excellent piano tuning is not something that can
be self-taught,
even if someone has a "good ear" and/or is a musician. Doing
the same thing wrong over and over is not "experience" ... or
not the kind of experience you want your technician to have.
Were you trained only in tuning, or in repair and
regulation too?
A well trained piano technician should be able to
properly repair parts
on any standard piano, and be able to correctly regulate it for
optimum
performance. If the person you hire is "self-taught", the
equivalent
of a backyard auto mechanic, that person is just as likely to
break your
piano as fix it!
Have you subjected your work to the scrutiny of more
experienced technicians?
The Piano Technicians Guild offers the only
standardized testing for piano
technicians. This testing is completely voluntary. A technician
can be
competent at tuning and repair without taking these tests, but
taking
the test is the only guarantee of a minimum level of competency.
"By Ear" or With Machine?
Almost all qualified technicians use a combination of their ears and a tuning device with special software, especially when a
piano is
considerably flat or sharp, since the machine can also compensate
for this,
often without doing a separate "pitch raise". It is also
especially
helpful when there is background noise.
Using a good electronic aid can help create a good tuning
only
if the technician has learned good tuning technique, and only if
the technician
can do aural checks. In addition, whether tuning with or without
any electronic
aid, if a tuner has not been taught other important aspects of
tuning,
s/he will not be able to provide an excellent and stable tuning.
Piano Technicians Guild
If you inquire about the background of a piano technician, you
should
be aware of the following distinctions regarding membership in the
Piano
Technicians Guild (PTG).
PTG Member - Anyone who has paid dues to the organization,
whether a tuner
or not.
RPT (Registered Piano
Technician) - a member who has also taken and passed
three exams: a written exam, an exam to demonstrate proficiency in
tuning,
and one to demonstrate skills in repair and regulation of the
mechanical
parts of the piano. If the technician uses an electronic device as
an aid
in tuning, s/he must demonstrate a basic skill level in tuning
aurally
as well.
There are many excellent piano technicians who have not taken
these tests.
Taking the tests demonstrates a standardized level of proficiency.
More information about the PTG is at their website, www.ptg.org
Thanks to Barb Barasa, RPT, PTG
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We would love to hear your ideas for this newsletter. What would you like to know about pianos, lessons, new technology, or just how to get started? Just click and send a note to ask@greenemusic.com or call (858)586-7000 seven days a week.
Sincerely,
Michael Greene, Owner
Greene Music
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