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What courses would YOU recommend?

  • 1.  What courses would YOU recommend?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-13-2019 02:05
    This is just a mental exercise; I am sure that Bennet School and several universities have done this extensively:

    If you were designing a curriculum for piano tuning degree what courses would you recommend?

    Certainly piano technology, but I could probably cover most of the important aspects of piano technology in one intense semester.

    Music would be another, no piano tuner should go forth without a good understanding of music and some performing ability (AMHIK).

    Some general ed stuff... gotta be well rounded.

    Then BUSINESS:
    Marketing
    Legal.
    Contracts.
    Accounting.
    Scheduling.
    Web design and management.
    Advertising.
    Business software.
    Personal and life planning (you have to retire sometime).

    Anyone?


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    Blaine Hebert
    Duarte CA
    626-795-5170
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  • 2.  RE: What courses would YOU recommend?

    Posted 12-13-2019 07:43
    hello Blaine,
    that would be a very broad, but good starting point for someone who wants to build his own business. However, there are professionals out there that have specialized in a lot of those topics under business that we can ask for help and/or hire to suggest and come up with business solutions that may work for us.
    it is a good idea to have a broad understanding of all of those aspects, but i guess as piano technicians, we would want to be focused and very knowledgeable on things having to do with pianos most of all. If you want to set up and run your own business, it is advisable to be able to determine what it is you want to achieve, develop a business plan, analyze the market, and do some marketing. 
    If you want to work for a piano store, university or just not want to run your own business, all the business topics you mentioned (except for personal and life planning), are unimportant.
    I guess it's just like going to high school and college: you learn about a lot of topics and you will have to pass each and every one of them but then you may find that you don't really use them on a daily basis. However, they will make you more allround and many times, you may find that it's easier to understand issues, or connect dots.
    I like to know a lot about many things and i think that it is generally good to have a broad understanding of all of those topics, but especially, with technology changing so rapidly nowadays, wouldn't if be best to hire expert professionals for a lot of those business topics you mentioned and become expert professionals in piano technology with just enough understanding of those other aspects so we can formulate what we want and then evaluate if what is suggested to us, might be good for us?
    Peter

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    Petrus Janssen
    Peachtree City GA
    678-416-8055
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: What courses would YOU recommend?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-13-2019 23:07
    Petrus,
    Tim Barnes is a proponent of this: hiring other professionals and focusing on just piano technology, and this is a good idea, but the majority of piano technicians are probably "one man shows" (not trying to be sexist).
    If you are coming out of a college or institutional course and are planning to work as CAUT then sure, focusing on piano technology would be fine... that is until you find yourself out of an institutional position and you need to do solo home service, then you still need to be the one man band.
    I would bet that most piano technicians come into this business from another profession and just pick it all up as they go (or from PTG), and there is nothing wrong with this, but my original question remains:
    What courses should a college or educational institution require or recommend for a budding young piano technician.
    I studied algebra and wondered why I would ever need to know that stuff... until I needed to know it.

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    Blaine Hebert
    Duarte CA
    626-795-5170
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: What courses would YOU recommend?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-13-2019 23:55

    I think business training would be extremely important. Doesn't do anyone any good if you're the best technician in the world and are broke and drowning in debt. 

    If one wants to focus on being a technician, he / she needs to hire someone to run the business side of things. This is a great idea, but my guess is the vast majority of independent technicians (over 95%?) run their own business. This fact alone should make some type of business training an absolutely necessary part of any course on piano technology, IMHO. 


    Regardless of which type of piano technology you want to pursue, I'd recommend reading, as a bare minimum, Dave Ramsey's EntreLeadership (for business and leadership practices), Seth Godin's Purple Cow (what customers expect from your business), and Donald Miller's Building a StoryBrand (marketing).



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    Benjamin Sanchez, RPT
    Piano Technician / Artisan
    (805) 315-8050
    www.professional-piano-services.com
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: What courses would YOU recommend?

    Posted 12-14-2019 07:17
    Blaine H. wrote: "...no piano tuner should go forth without a good understanding of music and some performing ability (AMHIK)"

    Okay, so I'll ask! How do you know?

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    Terry Farrell
    Farrell Piano Service, Inc.
    Brandon, Florida
    terry@farrellpiano.com
    813-684-3505
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: What courses would YOU recommend?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-15-2019 00:44
    I am a third generation piano technician but didn't study music, intending to go into a teaching career that didn't happen.  When customers ask for a concert after my tuning I play chopsticks.

    Embarrassing as hell!

    I wouldn't teach someone who couldn't play.

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    Blaine Hebert
    Duarte CA
    626-795-5170
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: What courses would YOU recommend?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-15-2019 01:35
    I have a Master Degree in Music Education. I have a full understanding of music theory, but I don't "play" the piano.  But I have learned to play arpegios, scales and chords, which I call "noodeling", which impresses most of my customers, to test the piano.

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    Willem "Wim" Blees, RPT
    Mililani, HI 96789
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: What courses would YOU recommend?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-15-2019 02:02
    Hmmm... yet another instance where I agree with you... We need to do a beer!

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    Blaine Hebert
    Duarte CA
    626-795-5170
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: What courses would YOU recommend?

    Posted 12-15-2019 07:12
    Good grief - maybe we need to get together sometime for a beer - and so you can teach me how to play chopsticks! I face the same situation after tuning a piano. In fact, I had a situation just the other day that was the most demonstrative of this. Right when I entered the home, grandma said "I've been waiting all week for this - I can hardly wait until he is done so that I can listen to him play." And sure enough, she was there hovering over me waiting for her concert when I finished tuning the piano.

    So when customers ask whether I play the piano (or state that I certainly MUST be an advanced pianist) I tell them no, and explain to them that piano tuning is physics and has little to do with music theory or a piano tuner having "musical ears". I tell them that the tuner has to have trained, functional ears. I also go on to tell them about a PTG survey done many years ago asking that very question: "Do you play piano". My recollection is that 40% of members responded that they did not play. I'm not sure any of that makes them terribly comfortable with me not playing piano - but when I tell them that I took organ lessons for three or four years, they seem to feel better at that point......

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    Terry Farrell
    Farrell Piano Service, Inc.
    Brandon, Florida
    terry@farrellpiano.com
    813-684-3505
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    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: What courses would YOU recommend?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-15-2019 22:11
    My favorite answer is "Sorry. No. Union rules."  Or I will offer to send my brother next year.

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    Blaine Hebert
    Duarte CA
    626-795-5170
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    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: What courses would YOU recommend?

    Member
    Posted 12-15-2019 07:36
    I'll give a novice piano tech and very amateur pianist's answer to the question of "why is it important to have some knowledge of piano music?" I play chords and melody-- basically jazz from a "Fake Book" (which has ... jazz chords and melodies.) But, I have fast fingers. On my last job, which was regulation for an overdamper piano (yes, THAT overdamper piano) I played my usual chord progression with improvised melody and I noticed that the action was a bit stiffer than usual, and I thought to myself, hmmm, it shouldn't feel like that. After recalling a few other obvious clues, I remembered that because the bridle straps were fragile (and I didn't have enough replacements on hand) I'd never done a complete lubrication of the action when it was in the shop (my first step is always to take the action apart and check flange resistance.) So if I didn't know how the piano was supposed to play, I might not have realized my omission. Feeling the action through playing has also helped me to narrow in on problems-- for example, badly-worn knuckles on a grand (I could feel the jacks getting stuck on the knuckles.) When I play I can tell if I did a good regulation job or not-- the piano hums along if everything works as it should. Regarding tuning, playing helps me to pick out unisons that aren't quite there.



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    Don Dalton
    Chester VT
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    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: What courses would YOU recommend?

    Member
    Posted 12-15-2019 10:14
    You don't need to a piano performance major or concert pianist but I do believe you can be a much better technician if you know a few songs to play before and after you tune a piano. I too have experienced the request to play by clients who look forward to a little concert after a tuning. Before and after show off the results of your work although scales and noodling around can. I usually hear some things I didn't catch during the tuning and beyond that it is a joy to play some of the finest pianos in the world. By playing you might catch some things like cheating jacks, bobbling hammers, bad octaves or unisons. You also get the chance to feel the action and how well the damper system is working. Playing a half dozen or so short pieces from memory or even a fake book can really improve your listening skills and ability to troubleshoot as well as enjoy your life as a technician. Perhaps we should have a class at the next PTG national conference with some group lessons for technicians. I enjoy a little post tuning/service playing. I really enjoy playing a piano after I have done action regulation because it plays and responds so much better. I have had people beg me to stay longer and play more even cry saying their piano sounds soooo much better. Remember folks you may be the only person that lonely piano owner has seen all year so get out their, take a few lesson and make some music in 2020....

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    James Kelly
    Pawleys Island SC
    843-325-4357
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    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: What courses would YOU recommend?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-15-2019 13:43

    When I began my tuning adventure, Steve Brady insisted on his new students being able to play, and I concur.

     

    How does one know if the piano plays well unless you try it out after service.  Just scales or something simple doesn't quite do it.

     

    You don't have to be  playing Chopin Etudes, but it helps. 

     

    I'm not a great pianist, but can muddle through some easier Chopin or Shubert and can recognize when a piano is not even or plays well.  I wonder where non playing techs can recognize this?  There are several techs here that play extremely well and actually play recitals here and there. I don't think this is needed, but being a pianist helps one not only notice things not quite right on the playability, but can also understand the pianist with his issues with the instrument. It can only help your service capabilities but also your income!

     

    Paul

     

     

     




    Original Message


  • 14.  RE: What courses would YOU recommend?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-15-2019 22:54
    My grandfather played in a Dixieland/ragtime style that made an out of tune piano sound great.  After regulation he could play a short melody and the piano sounded like he was finished.  After a tuning he could play something slower and show off the tuning.

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    Blaine Hebert
    Duarte CA
    626-795-5170
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    Original Message