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THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
OuTTECHNICAL DEPARTMENT
CONDUCTED BY WILLIAM BRAID WHITE.
THE TUNER'S RESPONSIBILITY.
In connection with what has been said recently
by Mr. Shaw on this subject, the following will be
of interest:
"Dear Mr. White—In the July 31 issue of The
Review you give in part a letter from Byron Shaw
concerning the responsibility of the tuner. This is
a subject that should interest all tuners. I see
indications of 'overdoing the thing' on the part of
Mr. Shaw in trying to please his customers. He
is no doubt an honest young man who wants to
give 'big measure,' 'and then some,' thinking that
will be a sure means of building up a substantial
business that will stay with him.
"My twenty-eight years' experience in tuning out-
side has taught me that his theory is wrong.
"It will cause the tuner who adopts that system
or method to get more abuse and less pay for his
time and work than any of his competitors. There
will be no end to the unreasonable claims of cus-
tomers, so long as any excuse remains on which
they can base a claim. It would take a volume to
contain all the crazy notions the public have re-
garding a piano. I shall not try to enumerate any
of them. I will say, however, that it is an easy
matter to avoid all these troubles with your cus-
tomers by doing your work well and making spe-
cific charges for every different kind of a job you
do on a piano. Tune only for a specific price, with
no extras thrown in. If any other work is to be
done besides tuning, make an itemized statement
of it and agree on the price before the work is
begun. Keep a copy of the statement for future
reference. In this way you can identify your work
at any future time and disprove any unjust claims.
You are responsible only for the work you were
paid for. It is silly to agree to 'fix up' a piano
for so much unless it is a job of rebuilding thor-
oughly, in which case the workman is responsible
for everything pertaining to the piano, the same as
a manufacturer is. If you take a 'fix up' job for a
small price you will never get your customer satis-
fied until you have rebuilt the piano.
"In conclusion I will say, 'keep the tuning sepa-
rate from everything else, make itemized state-
ments of all other work with specific charges for
each item and thereby avoid all grounds for differ-
ences with your customers.' I have followed this
plan for at least twenty years and can say that it
is a success. Tuners throughout the whole country
could adopt this plan with profit and avoid
troubles. Respectfully,
"ROBERT CARLTON.
"JoneSboro, Ark., August 6, 1915."
Mr. Carlton is a bit severe on the public, but
there is a great deal of truth in what he says. Of
course, all trouble in this world, from European
wars to chicken stealing, are actually the result of
ignorance, and the public mind in all matters, out-
side of those enormous generalities which appeal to
everyone, is largely a blank. That is to say, al-
though each of us has his own little specialty all
the other little specialties are likely to be as Greek
to us. So it is with the piano.
One special thought emerges, however; that is,
the really important question of specific work for
specific charges. The determination of just what
constitutes "a tuning" and just what should be
done within that designation has never yet been
made save by individual tuners who have occasion-
ally managed to educate their own clients to an
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understanding of how much to expect for the
tuning price. It seems to me, however, that the
American Guild of Piano Tuners constitutes the
only tribunal competent either to enunciate a ma-
tured and authoritative opinion or to lay down a
fixed rule in this respect. By this suggestion I do
not mean to imply that the Guild should attempt to
fix the activities of its members in any hard mold,
but rather should put itself on record as to what
a tuning means, how much it includes, what it
excludes, and generally what it definitely is. The
value of such a determination would be to imply
that the individual tuner might be able to point
to it and say that the governing body of the pro-
fession had adopted this view—an action on his
part which could not fail to have weight with the
public.
The idea of making itemizations of work done,
with itemized charges, is a good idea in every way,
and while perhaps it cannot be applied uniformly
everywhere or by everyone, probably most obstacles
to its general use would be found to exist rather
in the disinclination of tuners to adopt new meth-
ods than in any essential impracticability. Tuners
are all more or less of the so-called "artistic" sort
and, like most artistic people, oftentimes have a
disinclination for system; but system is the foun-
dation and basis of first-class work in any line.
My own view is that the tuner's relation to his
customer is that of the lawyer to his client. The
work is of a confidential nature and the customer
necessarily trusts the tuner and depends upon his
statements as upon his work. It is largely because
tuners are disinclined to let customers into what
they regard as the secrets of their work that
ignorance prevails to the extent we know, and for
exactly the same reason it is equally true that the
result of such ignorance is found in the exorbitant
demands, the "crazy notions" of which Mr. Carl-
ton speaks and all the rest of the absurd ditties
with which the tuner is familiar.
Now, is it not true that the tuner should make
it his first business to apply system to his manner
of conducting his practice? The application of a
definite system may sometimes seem to be rough
on the sensibilities of a good customer, but it is
much better for the vast majority of customers,
and therefore should be adopted without hesitation
wherever this is possible.
I have often had a good deal to say about sys-
tems for tuners' business, and all the really suc-
cessful tuners I know have found it necessary
sooner or later to get their methods down to a
basis of so much charge for so much work—no
more and no less. It is a good method, and what is
more to the point, it is in the end the only strictly
honest method that exists.
The Guild Convention.
From what I have heard, the sixth annual con-
vention of the American Guild of Piano Tuners
appears to have been in most respects quite a
model. A good deal of work was accomplished,
according to published reports, and the spirit of
harmony and good fellowship was apparently all
that could be desired. For this, naturally, we are
all thankful. The guild has a great future if it
be wisely conducted; and there is no doubt that
the machinery of its government is getting into
smooth working order, so that it may run without
squeaking or friction. When the piano trade at
large really understands what the guild means, and
FAUST
SCHOOL OF TUNING
Plait, Flay«r-NaB», Flpttit R««d Organ Tnninrtnd Rt-
pairiar, »Ut RtfiUtlif, Vtlciif, Varilihinr tndP.lIihinf
This formerly was the tuning department of the New Eng-
land Conservatory of Music, and Oliver C. Faust was head
of that department for 20 years previous to its discontinu-
Courses in mathematical piano scale construction and
drafting of same have been added.
Pupils have daily practise in Chickenng & Sons' factory.
Year Book tent free upon request.
27-29 GAINSBOROUGH ST., BOSTON, MASS.
when the gentlemen who are annually elected to
control the destinies of this body alike realize their
responsibilities as well as their privileges, all will
be well, and more than well.
I am well acquainted with the secretary-treasurer
of the guild, Mr. McClellan, who has been—1 think
most deservedly—elected for another year. The
secretaryship is the hard working post in any or-
ganization of this sort, and Mr. McClellan has
shown himself to be active and able in a task not
the most grateful that could be conceived.
I believe thoroughly in the guild and hope sin-
cerely that it may continue to grow and prosper
until it becomes in fact the actual governing body
of the profession in this country.
Good Advertising.
A. L. Camp, of Boulder, Col., has sent me for
inspection a twelve-page booklet which he has pre-
pared for the use of his customers, and incident-
ally for the furtherance of his own business. The
booklet is entitled "Your Piano and What You
Should Know About It." It is prefaced with the
following apt remarks: "The piano is aptly termed
the 'Queen of the Home,' and the author, fully
realizing the vast ignorance concerning her, is
sending you this brief message with the most
earnest spirit and desire of bringing owners and
admirers of Her Majesty into a closer relation
with music by a more complete knowledge of her
'•.are and requirements, that her voice may grow
more beautiful and the glory of music shine more
resplendently through her."
The booklet contains explanations of what con-
stitutes a tuning, remarks on frequency of tuning,
how to learn when the piano is out of tune, the
piano action, piano tuners, piano tuning and the
children, the tuner and the musician, neglect of
pianos, buying a piano, care of the piano, polishing
the piano, and cleaning the piano keys. It is well
written and should be an inspiration to the cus-
tomer. I am sure that Brother Camp will be happy
to send a copy to any reader who would like to
read it over.
Temperament and "Temperature."
The person in The Review's office who made me
say last week, "The mean tone temperature is
something you can try out for yourself" probably
thinks that he got off an exquisite piece of humor
in the composing room. But he is mistaken. Of
course, I really said "temperament," even though
the temperature out where I live has been mean
enough, goodness knows, for the last eight weeks.
Communications for this department should be
addressed to William Braid White, care Music
Trade Review, New York.
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Tuners and Repairmen
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