Music Trade Review
Issue: 1945 Vol. 104 N. 12 - Page 44
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FIRST AID IN PIANO REPAIRS
By ALEXANDER HART
Instructor in Piano Tuning,
Teachers College, Columbia University, New York
Registered Member of the National Association of Piano
Tuners
Dealers and tuners can pick up some
extra practical training by addressing Mr. Hart, c/o
Music TRADE REVIEW, 1270 Sixth Ave., New York 20, N.Y.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
The Concert Piano Tuner
By ALEXANDER HART
Technical Editor, The Music Trade Review
Quite naturally a man traveling over
the continent with such an instrument
must fit in properly musically. His
"ear" is usually trained for many years
in the factory where they manufacture
piano-fortes so that he becomes well
grounded in the art of tuning intervals.
Without proper factory training there
is little chance of ever becoming a
concert tuner. The tuner's workshop
is in the factory; his pianos are there
to tune hour by hour and day by day,
week in and week out, until his "ear"
becomes hardened to the "intervals."
When they are tuned right they form
the chords in musical composition, but
to the tuner it is simply ear training
for tone distance or intervals apart.
Snapping the Strings
When the strings are applied to the
back and they are ready to be pulled
up, the tuner does not use the key-
board but snaps the wires roughly;
brings them up to pitch; then the
strings are rubbed down; after which
the strings are clipped up again, a
little higher than the normal pitch and
once again rubbed down.
When he has achieved a sufficient
proficiency in this phase of the work
he passes on to what is termed rough
tuning. This is done with the key-
board. He usually gives the keys a
good, firm and solid blow so that they
will stand the test from the pianist's
powerful blow which is required in
certain compositions.
Second Tuning
He then passes on to the next step
which is going over the rough tuner's
work, called second tuning. By this
time his hearing is becoming so at-
tuned that he can detect the slightest
imperfection as to equalness of the
intervals, which must be "tempered"
or equalized into twelve equal parts
BO that the pianist or composer can
modulate in 48 different keys through
various changes. For without fine tun-
ing the pianist would find his task not
44
quite so easy and many of his com-
positions would not sound so pleasing
to the "ear."
Fine Tuning
The last remaining step is fine tun-
ing and tone regulating which is the
adjustment of the musical scale and
which is befitting to such an instru-
ment of which we have just spoken.
You hear the tuner pounding away on
the ivory keys—one wonders what he
is listening for. Well, he is arranging,
combining and applying these immu-
table laws of the universe to the strings
in the piano which form the musical
scale.
To make is very simple and clear
so that an idea can be formed of the
tuner and his profession as an art—
We all know what a tuning fork is.
He takes that tuning fork and sets the
C on the piano to the same pitch; in
other words, the tuning fork, which is
the key tone, "C" must correspond to
the ear. Then he begins to tune the
intervals and he can only do this by a
circle of fourths and fifths, or a circle
of fifths and octaves.
When you sound the C on the piano
and the C below or above they sound
like one note. This is because the
vibrations are in exact distance with
one another. It is customary to hear
one say, "Tune my piano to A 440,"
means the A note on the piano or the
string is vibrating 440 times in one
second of time. Therefore, if the tun-^
ing fork was A instead of C, and the
lower A was an octave and the super
A another octave, all these "A's" would
sound like one note.
The tuner proceeds to get the next
distance which is a fifth from the C to
G—just the same as one tuning a vio-
lin—from A to E, the difference being
the strings on a violin are tuned abso-
lutely true whereas the strings of the
piano-forte are tempered, that is, made
a little flat and a little sharp. Of
course what this little bit here and
there constitutes is for the tuner's
ear to guide him through the long
years of ear training which comes with
practice and experience.
This is but one small part of a
concert tuner's fitness to travel and
represent the manufacturer, the dealer
and the artists, and do justice to him-
self.
He must also have a fine working
knowledge of the action mechanism;
how to regulate the touch to suit the
exacting pianist; how to adjust the
tone when this is required, how to re-
place broken strings; and how to re-
pair at very short notice noiae that
may arise during travel and usage. He
must know the country fairly well;
how to attend to the shipments of in-
struments, etc. In fact, he is an am-
bassador extraordinary at times, espe-
cially when he is serving the best
interests of all concerned.
There is no royal road to becoming
a concert piano tuner, yet many of
them have pleasant reminiscences of
their travels and experiences with the
great artists.
An Open Letter to
Brother Overdorff
Mr. Hart answers through the
Columns of the Music Trade
Review as he thinks it con-
cerns one and all who prac-
tice the art of tuning and
servicing pianos.
—Editor's Note.
First, I want to wish my readers a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year.
Second, to answer a letter I received
from Anson D. Overdorff, Vice Presi-
dent and Secretary of the National
Association of Piano Tuners, dated
November 17, 1945. What I am writ-
ing is only in part, and as follows:
Mr. Overdorff has asked:
"Is Columbia University equipped
for teaching apprentices in the Art of
Piano Tuning, or just a genera] knowl-
edge to the University students? Kind-
ly explain your position and duty. The
reason I am asking is that we all
know that there is a vast need for
schools in piano service.
Do you know anything about the
Rockwell School of Piano Tuning con-
ducted by C. A. Rockwell, with his
twenty week course? I notice he is
from Clearfield, Pa. He advertises in
the Music Trade Review."
Dear Brother Overdorff:
I am writing an open letter in an-
swer to yours of November 17, 1945,
in this column, especially as you are
an advocate of the Music Trade Review
and whose interest is in the tuner's
behalf at all times.
• My position in "Teachers College"
Columbia University is to keep the
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, DECEMBER. 1945
FIRST AID IN PIANO REPAIRS
By ALEXANDER HART
Instructor in Piano Tuning,
Teachers College, Columbia University, New York
Registered Member of the National Association of Piano
Tuners
Dealers and tuners can pick up some
extra practical training by addressing Mr. Hart, c/o
Music TRADE REVIEW, 1270 Sixth Ave., New York 20, N.Y.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
The Concert Piano Tuner
By ALEXANDER HART
Technical Editor, The Music Trade Review
Quite naturally a man traveling over
the continent with such an instrument
must fit in properly musically. His
"ear" is usually trained for many years
in the factory where they manufacture
piano-fortes so that he becomes well
grounded in the art of tuning intervals.
Without proper factory training there
is little chance of ever becoming a
concert tuner. The tuner's workshop
is in the factory; his pianos are there
to tune hour by hour and day by day,
week in and week out, until his "ear"
becomes hardened to the "intervals."
When they are tuned right they form
the chords in musical composition, but
to the tuner it is simply ear training
for tone distance or intervals apart.
Snapping the Strings
When the strings are applied to the
back and they are ready to be pulled
up, the tuner does not use the key-
board but snaps the wires roughly;
brings them up to pitch; then the
strings are rubbed down; after which
the strings are clipped up again, a
little higher than the normal pitch and
once again rubbed down.
When he has achieved a sufficient
proficiency in this phase of the work
he passes on to what is termed rough
tuning. This is done with the key-
board. He usually gives the keys a
good, firm and solid blow so that they
will stand the test from the pianist's
powerful blow which is required in
certain compositions.
Second Tuning
He then passes on to the next step
which is going over the rough tuner's
work, called second tuning. By this
time his hearing is becoming so at-
tuned that he can detect the slightest
imperfection as to equalness of the
intervals, which must be "tempered"
or equalized into twelve equal parts
BO that the pianist or composer can
modulate in 48 different keys through
various changes. For without fine tun-
ing the pianist would find his task not
44
quite so easy and many of his com-
positions would not sound so pleasing
to the "ear."
Fine Tuning
The last remaining step is fine tun-
ing and tone regulating which is the
adjustment of the musical scale and
which is befitting to such an instru-
ment of which we have just spoken.
You hear the tuner pounding away on
the ivory keys—one wonders what he
is listening for. Well, he is arranging,
combining and applying these immu-
table laws of the universe to the strings
in the piano which form the musical
scale.
To make is very simple and clear
so that an idea can be formed of the
tuner and his profession as an art—
We all know what a tuning fork is.
He takes that tuning fork and sets the
C on the piano to the same pitch; in
other words, the tuning fork, which is
the key tone, "C" must correspond to
the ear. Then he begins to tune the
intervals and he can only do this by a
circle of fourths and fifths, or a circle
of fifths and octaves.
When you sound the C on the piano
and the C below or above they sound
like one note. This is because the
vibrations are in exact distance with
one another. It is customary to hear
one say, "Tune my piano to A 440,"
means the A note on the piano or the
string is vibrating 440 times in one
second of time. Therefore, if the tun-^
ing fork was A instead of C, and the
lower A was an octave and the super
A another octave, all these "A's" would
sound like one note.
The tuner proceeds to get the next
distance which is a fifth from the C to
G—just the same as one tuning a vio-
lin—from A to E, the difference being
the strings on a violin are tuned abso-
lutely true whereas the strings of the
piano-forte are tempered, that is, made
a little flat and a little sharp. Of
course what this little bit here and
there constitutes is for the tuner's
ear to guide him through the long
years of ear training which comes with
practice and experience.
This is but one small part of a
concert tuner's fitness to travel and
represent the manufacturer, the dealer
and the artists, and do justice to him-
self.
He must also have a fine working
knowledge of the action mechanism;
how to regulate the touch to suit the
exacting pianist; how to adjust the
tone when this is required, how to re-
place broken strings; and how to re-
pair at very short notice noiae that
may arise during travel and usage. He
must know the country fairly well;
how to attend to the shipments of in-
struments, etc. In fact, he is an am-
bassador extraordinary at times, espe-
cially when he is serving the best
interests of all concerned.
There is no royal road to becoming
a concert piano tuner, yet many of
them have pleasant reminiscences of
their travels and experiences with the
great artists.
An Open Letter to
Brother Overdorff
Mr. Hart answers through the
Columns of the Music Trade
Review as he thinks it con-
cerns one and all who prac-
tice the art of tuning and
servicing pianos.
—Editor's Note.
First, I want to wish my readers a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year.
Second, to answer a letter I received
from Anson D. Overdorff, Vice Presi-
dent and Secretary of the National
Association of Piano Tuners, dated
November 17, 1945. What I am writ-
ing is only in part, and as follows:
Mr. Overdorff has asked:
"Is Columbia University equipped
for teaching apprentices in the Art of
Piano Tuning, or just a genera] knowl-
edge to the University students? Kind-
ly explain your position and duty. The
reason I am asking is that we all
know that there is a vast need for
schools in piano service.
Do you know anything about the
Rockwell School of Piano Tuning con-
ducted by C. A. Rockwell, with his
twenty week course? I notice he is
from Clearfield, Pa. He advertises in
the Music Trade Review."
Dear Brother Overdorff:
I am writing an open letter in an-
swer to yours of November 17, 1945,
in this column, especially as you are
an advocate of the Music Trade Review
and whose interest is in the tuner's
behalf at all times.
• My position in "Teachers College"
Columbia University is to keep the
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, DECEMBER. 1945
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