Pianotech

  • 1.  Relating-to-Customer/Building Customer Relationships (and "Functional Harmony") Question

    Posted 05-23-2014 23:50
    Hello to all my Piano Tech. brothers & sisters.

    -This is both a Relating-to-Customer question (& building Customer Relationships), as well as a Functional Harmony question:
    I have noticed that even if the parents of music-students who play the piano, don't play at all, they are often real, true Music Lovers themselves. This has made for some very interesting & enjoyable conversations over recent years, and I have always just let the topic(s) naturally flow & try to make the client feel at ease, and comfortable with me.
    -Recently, I realized that it is just a nice way to relate the client, and gradually build a friendly (and musical) relationship with them over time. Since I am a musician & teacher as well, I have enjoyed this interaction, and it seems to help with future appointments & referrals.
    -Curious if anyone has had similar (or different?) experiences?

    *The functional-harmony question that brought up the latest client-conversation is:
    How does the 2nd chord in Richard Rogers' "The Sound of Music" function? Key is F Major, and 2nd chord is E Major-Triad over F in bass. Some kind of altered F Chord? It sounds very dark, and great---and then resolves right back to F Major-Triad.
    *Anyway, that was the indirect impetus for my whole (long-winded) questions.........
    Thank for any input, feedback & Functional Harmony help, everyone!

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    Christian Rehm
    Eastchester NY
    914-623-8863
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  • 2.  RE: Relating-to-Customer/Building Customer Relationships (and "Functional Harmony") Question

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 05-24-2014 03:37
    Christian  (Same as our son's name).

    I have a degree in music, (Masters), and taught band and chorus for 7 years before becoming a piano tuner. Often times I wonder if going to all the trouble of getting that degree was worth it, until I talk with another musician and realize that I wouldn't be able to do that unless I had that degree. It's not that often, but when it does happen, it makes me feel good. It has probably helped my business.

    Another thing I do with my degree is participate in music groups. I have sung in or directed several choruses and choirs, and I have directed and played in quite a few handbell choirs. (I used to play French horn, too, in orchestras, but it's been 30 years)  Being part of those ensembles has also helped my career. Not all the members of those groups have called me, but over all it has helped my business.

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    Willem "Wim" Blees, RPT
    Mililani, HI 96789
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  • 3.  RE: Relating-to-Customer/Building Customer Relationships (and "Functional Harmony") Question

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 05-24-2014 08:18

    Christian,
    I hear it as a Fº chord. E is in the melody, but I don't hear the bass changing to E to make it an E chord of any kind - the bass stays the same. The passing phrase that has E-D-C-B in it resolves on the b5 of the F. 

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    Phil Bondi,RPT
    Bondi's Piano Service
    www.philbondi.com
    239-949-3688
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  • 4.  RE: Relating-to-Customer/Building Customer Relationships (and "Functional Harmony") Question

    Posted 05-24-2014 08:43
    Yeah..the bass doesn't change to E, its sitting on F.  The beginning of this opening phrase really doesn't want to go anywhere functionally, it just sits on F maj. So rather than sit on F maj, as a static boring F maj the whole time, it shifts colors by opening with a F6, and shifting non-functionally to the F dim you speak of then back. This, especially starting the first chord with a 6th in in(d) which also could be part of the second Fdim chord, in my opinion, builds ambiguity into what the ear expects. This allows simple chords to shift colors rather than go anywhere tonally. 

    Common practice, 18th century harmony class imposed functionality is not necessarily that useful in chromatic music. Well actually I find it way counterproductive, as it describes a different aesthetic than the music you are referring to. Once I ditched the functional requirements imposed in harmony class, and stopped trying to make all music fit those functionalities, the ear and brain was much happier. I could see the sounds as sounds in and of themselves, rather than servants to an unavoidable linear progression...ambiguity rather than certainty...somewhat of an eastern way of thinking, but that's the way I like to think of it.

    Jim Ialeggio
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    Jim Ialeggio
    grandpianosolutions.com
    Shirley, MA
    978 425-9026
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE:Relating-to-Customer/Building Customer Relationships (and "Functional Harmony") Question

    Posted 05-24-2014 16:57
    Thanks very much, everyone! Yes, Phil, I forgot about that sort of passing counter-melody which adds some extra information to the mix. -Very helpful.

    I will mess around & experiment with improvising over the F (sort of, kind of) diminished chord/scale.
    *The most important part is that I dig the sound of that mini-mood in the song. After all, we all know, "If it sounds good, it is good."

    As sort of a Jazzer, of course I want to understand every possible angle & implication of it, so that I can try using it in writing & playing in the future.
    -As I see it, one of the main differences between Classical & Jazz (besides Trad Harmony vs. more Modern & Flexible Harmony), is that Jazzers always want to know how they can APPLY something in their own writing & playing---analysis isn't the end--it is only the beginning, the jumping off point.

    That being said, I'm still having trouble understanding & justifying that damn B note over the F note in the bass! Hahaha..

    Thanks again everyone, and let me know if you have any further thoughts or suggestions.


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    Christian Rehm
    Eastchester NY
    914-623-8863
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE:Relating-to-Customer/Building Customer Relationships (and "Functional Harmony") Question

    Posted 05-24-2014 17:07
    *I meant E note over F note in bass.........

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    Christian Rehm
    Eastchester NY
    914-623-8863
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Relating-to-Customer/Building Customer Relationships (and "Functional Harmony") Question

    Posted 05-26-2014 00:02
    You guys are reminding me how much music theory I've forgotten. And some of it I never really knew. <blush> I really invested some sweat the year a sabbatical replacement job landed me with a freshman theory class to teach.

    I have always thought that a masters degree in cello performance is the most utterly useless degree on God's green earth, but now that I've done piano work for 35 years or so, I realize that that isn't really true ... it's a pretty good preparation to become a piano technician, and however much theory I've forgotten, getting along with musicians and performers is worth the time I invested getting the degree. Trying to make a living as an orchestral musician was very educational, as well, and certainly was a good incentive to learn piano technology. I sort of made a kind of living for about five years, kind of, sort of, well, don't look at my bank balance .....

    An "adventure" is trouble you're over with.

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    Susan Kline
    Philomath, Oregon

    Original Message