Career Advice

[Bennyfingers]

Hello

My name is Ben and I'm 24 - I wondered if I could ask the opinion of the professionals on this forum.

After much deliberation I've decided I want to become a piano tuner/restorer, however I'm 24; married and with a mortgage, so going to going away to study full time is out of the question.

I've been practising on restoring my upright piano, but to be honest, there's only so many times you can read Arthur Reblitz before you reach a wall in what you can learn by yourself!

What I'd like to do is shadow a professional for whatever time I'm able... My question is, if I approach a local technician and ask them whether I can learn from them, say, one day a fortnight, would they turn round and say `no way, you freeloader`, or are technicians more amaenable to helping the next generation??

If you do think it's worth approaching the professionals, what, would you say is the best means? e-mail? Phonecall?

Any advice welcome

Thanks a lot

Ben from
Norwich

[Johnkie]

Hi Ben - Tricky question ! Speaking as someone who has been in the trade for decades working on a self-employed basis I would find it difficult to take someone under my wing for a day per week. The type of work that a tuner / technician does, doesn't lend itself to do an apprentice justice. Most of my regular work consists of tuning and repairing customers instruments on site, in homes, schools, colleges, theatres, castles etc., and it would be wholly un-professional to have someone else not professional attempting to do the work - the customer would expect me personally to carry out the work, and in the un-likely event that they didn't mind ... It would take forever to get the work completed. Now, if I were working on someone's piano in my workshop, that would be a completely different kettle of fish. I could then spend good quality "one to one" time with a student making sure that quality work was being taught without the pressures of time. The truth of the matter though is that major repair and restoration work is something that comes and goes, where as tuning and minor repairs are the "bread and butter" so's to speak. Without getting on an apprenticeship or college course, it would be extremely difficult for you to get the experience and practice sufficient enough to acquire the necessary competence. There are books,electronic tuning aids, and distance courses that some maintain can do the job of training someone, but I can't imagine why it took me 5 years of daily training and then the experience of another 40 to get to my present position, if I could have achieved exactly the same result by reading books and studying a distance course. It's a difficult situation that confronts you Ben - I appreciate how you must feel, but unless you can find a solution whereby you can devote yourself entirely to learning the skills, I'm afraid you could find the task impossible. Unless, of course your intention is merely to take it up as a hobby, whereby you are not expecting to treat it as a paid profession, and a much lesser degree of competence would then perhaps suffice.

[dancarney]

I'm in a very similar position, Ben.

However, I've got a place on the tuning course in Newark, which starts in only a few weeks. It'll be quite a few miles on the car, but hopefully it'll be worth it in the long term.

However, to gain prior experience, I've explored a couple of avenues. I had a lesson with a tuner from the forum (Colin), but finances have prevented me from having more (sadly).

I've also been shadowing a Steinway & Sons concert technician/tuner, and will hopefully continue doing so through my studies at Newark. I've also met various esteemed tuners from concert halls/universities, etc. All of which have been immensely helpful and encouraging.

I tried calling local piano restoration shops, but got absolutely no luck finding work (as a volunteer/tea maker!).

Perhaps approach a few tuners (or the like), and have a chat, bearing in mind what Johnkie has already highlighted, and see what help/advice they offer.

[Barrie Heaton]

Hi Bennyfingers

Your main problem is the UK trade its-self, unlike the USA we are not geared up to distance learning or mentioning 99% of tuners in the UK were collage trained and in the most reluctant to help those what are not collage trained The PTA as I understand are reluctant to allow students to attend classes who are not at collage

However, next year Hereford is hoping to open up again, one of the courses we hope they may start is block release. That will help those who can not attend full time but you will need a mentor and that's the hard part as tuners start to feel the downturn biting into work loads

Barrie,

[vernon]

I'm in the fortunate position that my daughter is learning the trade with me and lives locally.
Every day is different and while we are patiently restoring a piano an emergency arises and everything is dropped for it.
Someone fancies a piano we havent started so course is changed.
With a very small workshop such as we, it is difficult to give sustained instruction.
Therefore I sympathise with the poster.
It seems that in the absence of the apprenticeships the older generation enjoyed(!) a college course is the only solution. Then with some gained expertise, albeit book learned, a workshop would be pleased to take you on to show you the everyday solutions to piano maintenance.

[Bob Pierce]

Which area are you in in the country? This may help us recommend a workshop to you.

[Colin Nicholson]

(Firstly.... well done Dan! all the best for the course)....

Hi Ben,
Yeh as Dan just said, I visited his house back in February to just give him a few 'pointers' for his tuning of his own piano.... however Dan realises that one lesson wont turn him into a piano tuner!

Looking at the 'other side of the coin' .... I think we all realise by the 'tone' of your post that attending a college is not an option at the moment due to finances, yeh? .... and even if you DID shadow a piano restorer, perhaps the information you need to complete your own piano might not be the same work being carried out by a workshop at that time (along the lines of what Vernon said).... and a workshop would have to 'down-tools' to deal with your (ahem).... 1. own piano problems 2. putting your mistakes right 3. visiting your home to offer some help.

Reblitz is also a very technical book.... not for the faint-hearted!! and if you just want your piano put back to normal.... I dont see why you couldn't book a tuner just to give you some advise instead of a tuning? Unless the tuner is 'dog-headed' - if you pay someone the going rate, they will be able to help you out.

Would be interesting to know what part of your piano you have attempted to restore/ refurbish? ..... and I am just assuming here in thinking that you have assembled the mechanism after doing some work, and the 'action' won't play like it did? ...... anyway, I am sure that there is some help at hand & dont be afraid to reveal at what stage you are at with your piano.

If you do book a tuner.... they might say that due to the nature of the work remaining.... i.e. regulation work; your tuner would recommend you to have them carry out the work for a nominal fee.... so, you could then 'shadow' their work, watch closely how a piano is regulated, ask a few questions.... and at least learn from your mistakes - if you've made a few? Some tuners may be quite open about their work - so I would give someone a ring....then there is the big issue.... TOOLS!!.... these take several years to accumulate (I know from personal experience), and even if you did shadow a tuner/ restorer in their workshop, they would be using the correct tools/ jigs (some home-made) and regulating tools specially designed for pianos. I would also be very reluctant to just let a stranger borrow my tools.... don't know about anyone else?

Hope that helps

Colin Nicholson

[Bennyfingers]

Hi guys

thanks a lot for the responses.

Barry: do you have any more information about this course in Hereford? Sounds perfik.

Bob: I'm in Norfolk - not exactly a hotbed of vocational education!!

I like the suggestion of paying a tuner by the hour to watch over my tuning. I guess it all depends on the tuner though as to how enthusiastic they are to mentor young'uns.

In the mean time, can anyone suggest a next book to Reblitz as I now know it cover to cover. There's surely more books out there.

Cheers

Ben

[Barrie Heaton]

Barry: do you have any more information about this course in Hereford? Sounds perfik.

You need to ring Hereford and tell them you are interested in the forthcoming tuning course with a view to doing it on Block release Course Enquiries: 01432 376621

In the mean time, can anyone suggest a next book to Reblitz as I now know it cover to cover. There's surely more books out there.

Cheers

Ben

Save yourself some cash become a student member of the IMIT and the PTa both have under used Library's

Under the lid by S Brady is an interesting read
The Voice of the piano by Abdre Oorebeek comes with a CD

Barrie,

[mdw]

Look around and see if there will be any companys employing you when you are trained. If not think how long it might take to build up a tuning round once trained. You will need a part time job to cover you whilst this builds up and it WILL take years to get to a point where you are getting a living wage. Rebuilding is almost dead in the water and new pianos put you in price slasher land. This trade will see me out but I DO NOT want my kids going in to it. For the money invested and my time training I could have earnt a lot more else where. HOWEVER Its a low stress life , ive been able to see my kids grow up and be there, not a off to work at 7 am back home at 8pm type job. And if theres a job I dont want to do for what ever reason I simply say so or price my self out of it. And there is a lot to be said for being able to get up in the morning and not loathing what the next 8 hours brings.
In short DONT look at it through rose coloured glasses. My gut feeling is 24 married with a morgauge is too late. I was 16 when I started training at Newark and lived with parents which gave me time to build a business, buy freehold premesis etc before the wife morgauge, kids came along. Im not trying ot put you off but have you really looked hard at waht its going to take to bring in what you need.

[David B]

This all makes for a rather depressing read Who's going to tune my piano in 20 years time?

[dancarney]

ME !!

[Barrie Heaton]

You can buy a tuning round of a dead tuner family but in most cases means moving to a new area

Barrie,

[Gill the Piano]

...unless you bump one off in your area...

[Bennyfingers]

well thanks again for the responses, guys. I appreciate the honesty especially.

I think I shall have to continue to restore pianos in my abject way for many many years to grow experience, and I'm sure your advice on the forum will continue to sustain me.

I shall book a tuner, I think, for some advice by the hour - perhaps the great Bill Kibby would consider rethinking his retirement for one afternoon? (That's me planting a seed there - do you like the subtlety??)

Well, like I said at the start, this is a long term plan to be a piano technician so I think from now I will just say the `long` in italics... but it's still definately a plan!!

Ben

[Gill the Piano]

At least you're asking - and taking - advice, and not just going out on the road with an electric tuning thing pretending to be a trained tuner, like some have done! Hope Bill imparts a weeny bit of his knowledge to you... Good luck!