December 2012

Centenary Convention PreviewSteinway Study DayChristmas Quiz

New Centuary, new Logo! Get ready for our Centenary Year!! Read more about it inside.

December 2012 3

The next deadline for PTA News isFriday 18th January 2013.

PTA News is the Newsletter for the PianoforteTuners’ Association. All views expressed are those ofthe contributors and do not necessarily reflect theviews of the PTA or the editorial team.

Please address letters intended for publication to‘The Editor’, preferably sent via email, computer diskor typed. If by email or disc please send photos

separately to the text. Items can only be returned ifaccompanied by an SAE. Please obtain the necessarypermission before submitting copyrighted items.

PTA NewsCobblestonesChurch LaneGreat HollandFRINTON-ON-SEAEssex CO13 0JSptanews@pianotuner.org.uk

For your advertising in PTA News, at very reasonable rates, please contact:Tania Staite, Flat 8, Deepdene, 15 Streatham Common Northside, London, SW16 3HQ.

Copy may then be emailed to the Editor at:ptanews@pianotuner.org.uk

Editorial — 4

President Writes — 5

Membership News — 6

Recommended Minimum Prices — 8

Centenary Convention Preview — 9

Tool Review — 10

Students’ Pages — 12

Steinway Seminar — 14

Christmas Quiz — 17

I.M.I.T Membership Offer — 17

PTA History — 19

Clive Benson — 20

Autumn Lunch — 21

When In Rome PTA Panto — 22

Council Report — 25

Letters — 26

PTA Centenary Diary — 27

Phew! What a whopper!! Page 14

4

This is a good time to belongto the PTA……………..in fact…it’s a great time!!!

This morning as I was putting togetherthis PTA News I heard the voice of ourPresident over the airwaves of Radio 3,extolling the values of pianos, pianotuners and yes, our good ol’ ‘PT of A’.

What wonderful publicity for us. Oneof Keiths bullet points in his interviewwas to mention our Centenary and as partof that, our second President Sir HenryWood, who held that title from 1914 until1944.

I’m sure Sir Henry would be pleasedto know that next year as part of ourCentenary celebrations, we plan toadvertise in the BBC Proms Guide for thefirst time, giving the PTA even betterstanding for the series of concerts whichhe himself founded. It all links in verywell.

You would also not failed to havenoticed our new centenary logo on thecover of this issue (twice in fact!) Wewanted to mark the 100 years in a catchyand bold way and I hope you agree thatwe have managed it. Bravo to allinvolved! The new logo should soon beavailable to you for your own use onpaperwork, websites and the like.

Why else is it a good time? Well, apartfrom all this new publicity, advertisingand the like which, we hope, will leadmore customers to your door (or should Isay ‘you’ to theirs), there are a number ofevents planned.

The major one of course is our bigCentenary Convention in May. You cansee a little taster of this on Page 9, butsuffice to say that the Convention Teamhave really pulled out all the stops tomake this one of the best ever, we hope

‘the’ best ever.It’s going to be different this year. The

superb classes will still be there but there

will be entertainment anda gala centenary dinner onthe Saturday night. We hope thatdelegates will bring their partners along togive this special Convention a real ‘social’vibe.

Most of all, if you haven’t been for awhile or even ever, this is the one to go toand we do hope you’ll come along.You’ve really got everything to gain andnothing to loose. I’ve learned loadsthrough going to Conventions, things Iuse everyday in my work, as well ashaving fun. While you’re at it, why notbring an old colleague or college friend tothe dinner and make it even more special.

So when those forms land on your matvery soon, fill them out and send them inbefore you have a chance to thinkyourself out of it and to miss out, yetagain!

As well as the Centenary vibe in thisissue we’ve got a brilliant report fromAnne Burton on the PTA/SteinwayTuning Seminar (Page 14), a veryinteresting tool review by John Thompson(Page 10) and a special offer for PTAMembers to join the I.M.I.T (page 17).Who said The PTA isn’t value for money?

For sheer entertainment this issue wehave a couple of Christmassy items too. Avery funny Pantomime style play fromKeith, which I think we should perform atthe Convention (Page 22) and the AnnualChristmas Quiz from Paul Fox (Page 16).We’ll even announce a winner to this oneso send me in your answers.

Phew! PTA perfection!!

HappyTuning.....

Matthew Gough

December 2012 5

Keith Owen

I've alwaysthought thatthe mostimportant thing about the P.T.A. isthe fact that it exists at all, not justfor the "fringe" benefits, but as ameans for like-minded people toshare their common interests inthe profession they love, and toform lasting friendships.

That this has had a hundred years'continuity is nothing short of remarkable –and well worth shouting about. To thatend we've made our logo and advertisingreflect the Association's Centenary Yearof 2013. I hope you approve!

But what about the Celebrations?Look no further than the CentenaryConvention next May in Bournemouth atthe ‘Day's Hotel’ (formerly the MarshamCourt Hotel) which is the same hotel

we've been to before butwith a multi-millionpound refurbishment.

Our Convention Teamhave been working very hard behind thescenes to ensure that this Convention issomething truly exceptional.

So – whether you are a regularConvention-goer, or you haven't been fora while, make a note in your diary for the2nd to the 4th May 2013.

If you've never been to a Conventionbefore, what better way to start the habit?See you there!

Best wishes,

Keith.

M and M

Specialist French Polishingand Casework Restoration

Accredited by Fergus Hoeywww.alcyonis.co.uk

Tel No. 01603 872783Mobile: 07876 687383 or 07931 155191

As the PTA Council is trying to raise the profile of the Association through itsadvertising, it is important to know how effective current advertising is.The Council therefore would like Members to please ask their clients:

How did you get my details?Was it via the website, a magazine advertisement, through one’s own private

advertising or other?

Would you please make a note of replies from now until the end of March 2013?Results will be collected by email to: anneb@banne74.orangehome.co.uk

Many thanks for your cooperation. Anne Burton

6

Annette SummersPlease note these changes to the PTA Year Book:

1216 Yumi Shigeno has a new address: 70 Chesterfield Road BARNET Herts EN5 2RF

S345 Ben Elsey has also moved to:84 Ashmole StreetLONDON SW8 1NE

Please send changes to the PTA Secretary using the contact details on Page 27

If you would like to be invoiced for your PTA Subscription by email infuture instead of post please let the Secretary know. Postage has

increased recently and this would help our Association to save a littlein costs. Every little helps!

Meet The PTA

at the Piano Workshop, Reigate1st March 2013 6.30pm to 8.30pm

See the latest Yamaha ‘Silent’ system and the new ‘X’ range of Yamaha Grands

Food provided. Come along and bring a non-PTA friend or colleague if you can.

To Book or for further information email: info@pianoworkshop.co.uk

Or telephone: 01737 242174 or 07770 853390

Workshop on Historic Broadwoods

at Finchcocks, Goudhurst, Kent19th to 20th July 2013

The workshop includes original factory regulation specifications.The cost is £75.00 for the 2 day course plus meals and accomodation.

Contact Alastair Laurence at John Broadwood LtdTel: 01580 212713

December 2012 7

Mr A T BrownWe were very sad to hear of the death of MemberAlan Brown of Woodburn Green, High Wycome

Alan was PTA Member number 741 and had beena Member since 1967, a whole 45 years!

We are very grateful for his support andMembership through all those 45 years of his

long career.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his Familyand friends

8

With an inflation rate (RPI) for October 2012 of 3.2%, the PTArecommended minimum price recommendations for 2013 are asfollows:

Local, regular tuning price, where the cost of living:

2013 (2012) Is lowest: £42.25 (£40.94) Is highest: £56.36 (£54.62)

Is highest and travel restricts the amount of work: £68.24 (£64.74)

The PTA recommended minimum local tuning price excludes VAT, applies topianos tuned at least twice per year, the location being within a radius of one mile fromthe tuner's base, assumes the tuner to be self-employed and working from home, anddoes not include additional repairs, pitch-raising, etc. It is based on the tuner working231 days per year, 34 of which will be lost to administration work, undertaking fivetunings per day. This very narrow definition is designed to enable a tuner to adapt it tohis or her own particular circumstances, and is intended to be a guide to what isconsidered the lowest possible amount compatible with a successful business.

Recommended Minimum Repair Charge Calculation:

In areas where the cost of living:

2013 (2012) Is lowest: £23.69 (£22.96) Is highest: £29.61 (£28.69)

The PTA recommended minimum hourly labour charge for repair work excludesVAT, assumes the technician is self-employed and working from home 230 days ayear.

The base figure for the recommended minimum tuning price calculations wereagreed at the 1989 AGM and are multiplied by the October annual inflation rate eachyear to arrive at the current years figures.

The same procedure takes place to arrive at the current minimum repair chargecalculations.

Trip to Kawai in Japan organised by Jaques Samuel Pianos16th-23rd March 2013

Phone 020 7723 8818 or email james@jspianos.com for more info.

December 2012 9

Bournemouth

Thursday 2nd May – Saturday 4th May 2013

The Days Hotel, situated on the East Cliff, overlooking the Pier and beaches hasjust had a 2 million pounds refurbishment!

Why not bring your partner to this special Centenary Convention and enjoy theGALA DINNER on the Saturday, or invite old college friends or colleagues along tothis special dinner to celebrate the 100 years of the PTA.

You and your partner can enjoy the pre-dinner entertainment eachevening, relax with a drink in the bar or enjoy the seaside facilities orshopping in Bournemouth.

New skills and knowlage can be found in abundance and classes this year willinclude David Stanwood from the Precision Touch Design Academy and EricShandall previously from the Steinway Academy in New York on piano tuning,voicing and grand regulation.

Look out for your booking form soonand don’t miss out!!!!

10

John ThompsonGrand TilterWe all know moving pianos

is hard work, every time Imove a particularly heavy piano Iwonder why I went into the pianobusiness and not violins!

For the people who move them all thetime for a living, my hat comes off to you,it’s hard work and made more difficultwhen it rains, or the 2 steps mentioned onthe phone is in fact 10. Moving any pianois an art form, I have forgotten how manypeople have said “it took 6 men to get itin!” as my father (who’s in his late 70’s)and I quickly move the heavy piano out ofthe house and up the ramp into the van.But for grand pianos, it’s a little different.There are many ways in which a grand isprepared for travel but it all has to becovered and strapped up using a shoe,then decide how the legs are fixed etc. Itcan take a good 30 minutes to shoe up agrand and get it into the van. Some of usstrap the shoe on first, and then retie thestraps once all the legs are off. Some helpthe grand down into the shoe and thenstrap up. There are people who use theEuro method if it’s a modern grand andhave the lyre on to either lower or bringupright. Whatever method, its hard work.So let me introduce you to the GrandTilter from Moondog USA.

I first saw this when a friend posted alink to the website, with a video showingone man tilt a grand piano up and downinto the shoe. I wanted to try this out!Fletcher & Newman are the UKdistributors and lent me one to try. I usedit on a Feurich 178 grand piano which Ihad to move from one end of the churchto the other. First, remove lyre. The tilterhas many holes and elongated holes foryou to decide the best fit to screw thetilter to the piano to replace where thelyre goes. There are many differentscrews for different threads, colour

coordinated for ease of use.You don’t need a spanner, justhand tight. Now the magic part. Youpress a brass button which sends a staydown to the ground. You then lift the bassend of the piano a little high and the stayholds up the piano without you. Justremove the bass leg in your own time. Inow put on the shoe and use ratchets tosecure it. Now by pressing another leveron the tilter, you then walk round and liftup the bass end and then you can lowerthe piano down so the tilter holds up thepiano and not the stay. You can nowlower the piano with a smooth movement,down on to its side. If there are two ofyou and the trolley has the wheels on theoutside, you can lower the shoe directlyon to the trolley with a bit of a push. It isthat easy.

It works in reverse order. The bestparts of this operation is the fact you donot lift the bass end, which is the backbreaker, up from the ground and thenhave to hold it there while the otherperson puts on the leg! Or in reverse andlower it down when your mate has finallytaken the leg off. You are also not gettingthe corner in to harm’s way as this isalways damaged when it slips off the shoeand onto the floor when tilting. The tilteris the best gadget I have seen for help inmoving grand pianos which does not costover £10k. The kit comes with many boltsfor a standard fit and there is a Steinwaycleat set as an optional extra. I have usedthis for 5 moves on old and new grandsand now I cannot think of going outwithout one! Compare it to a few days offwork with a bad back due to picking upthat grand from the floor and now it looksvery reasonable.

December 2012 11

It will not fit all pianos, those beingmostly older pianos where the lyre isfixed using wood screws, so this device is

for pianos with a metal thread lyreattachment.

12

If you’re a student, graduate, or are just starting out, thenthis section is for you

Last issue I covered the way that I prepare before carrying out a pitch raise. Howto give the customer the information they need in deciding whether to proceed andcarrying out the checks necessary in order to ensure that you have the best possiblechance of reaching a successful conclusion.

The article now concludes with a description of how I go about the actual task ofcarrying out the work. Again I state this is ‘my’ way and not necessarily ‘the’ way.

Raising Your GameBefore starting work it may well be worth checking whether the strings need

tapping down onto their bridges or hitch pins. I do this using a brass rod made to fitmy multi tool handle, see ‘Cool Tools’ on the next page. Tapping the strings downshould certainly aid stability and is something we all neglect far too much.

The way I was taught and have successfully carried out pitch raises over manyyears, is to do a very quick rough tuning of 20 minutes or so at a sharp pitch, followedby a fine tuning once the piano has settled at the correct pitch. It may be necessary tocarry out one or possibly two more rough tunings before the fine tuning, depending onthe state of the piano.

Although there have been some pianos that I have advised against raising to pitchbecause of their condition, I have have never broken anything but a couple of stringsoccasionally and no piano has been damaged by my methods!You just need to inspectthe instrument thoroughly as stated in the first part of the article published in the lastissue so that you are confident that there will be no disasters.

I tune from middle C and start by leaving the lowest and slowest beat 3 beats sharpon a 6 beat pitch raise. I vary this according to how flat the piano is. If it’s a semitoneflat I pull it very much sharper, maybe even doubling middle C to 6 beats sharp! I thentune the scale in the same way as normal but if there are no split dampers in the scaleregion I may use a muting strip for speed. I’m not going for accuracy here; I onceworked out that in order to tune a piano in 20 minutes I could only spend about5 seconds on each pin! It’s all to do with spreading the load as evenly as possible inthe shortest time so there’s not much point in carrying out very detailed checks andcertainly don’t waste too much time on them. Don’t bother ‘whacking’ the note to tryto stabilise it at this stage either, there’s no point at all.

After the scale I always tune the bass, so that’s where I head next, tuning theoctaves as I would normally but without too much checking. One simple check Ialways do though, is to check the double octaves as soon as I can. Then once I’vefinished the bass I quickly run through it again, octaves and double octaves just to pullup the ones that are still quite rough. My opinion is that this leads to a more stableresult at the end of the tuning.

Now it’s time to tackle the treble. I start stretching the octaves pretty well straightaway but the first few will be stretched only very slightly, less than a beat. The idea isthat you gradually increase the stretch so that by the time you reach the note next to

What they don’t tell you at college

December 2012 13

MG

Cool ToolsWell, this is the brass drift I made atcollege for ‘tapping down’ strings. I’mso fond of it that I’m loath to makeanother even though it’s really tooshort now due to the constant filing. It

needs filing because it’s made of brass which is soft. That’s because using a hardmetal such as a normal screwdriver could damage the strings or bridges. I mademine so that it fits in my ‘Muti Tool’ handle and I use a pair of pliers to ‘tap’ it not

‘hit’ it. Actually, I can see it needs filing again! I suppose I could frame it and makeanother one. Little things…… MG

the treble beak you are stretching it about 3 beats sharp on a 6 beat pitch raise, thesame stretch you gave to middle C. If you are raising the piano a quarter tone I mightdouble the stretch and for a semitone perhaps even more. It’s practice that will teachyou how much to stretch by, and in time it will almost become instinctive.

Once you have tuned the notes either side of the break you start to decrease theamount of stretch until, by the time you reach note C64 or thereabouts, you are backtuning the octaves as normal, seemingly without stretch.

Once you’ve reached the top, run through the treble again, tidying up the screamersthat have already drifted badly flat or the obviously over sharpened ones.

Now it’s time to reassess. First check middle C against the fork. If it’s 2 or 3 beatsflat go through another full rough tune but with less stretch. If the pitch is there orthereabout's play through some arpeggios and double octaves. If it’s still soundingvery honky tonky do a second quick tuning before the fine but only stretching aroundthe break area and only if it needs it, it’ll be worth it later when the notes are nice andstable as you fine tune it. It’s possible on huge raises that you’ll need 2 roughs, a quicktune without stretch and a fine tuning to reach a good end result.

The dream is that after your first rough tune you test the tuning fork against middleC and it’s bang on. How satisfying is that when it happens? Very!! It’s just a normalfine tuning from there on in. Job done! MG

It’s easy to underestimate how much you need to ‘stretch’, especiallyover the break. In this case ‘less’ isn’t ‘more’ but don’t go too mad!Don’t forget that if it starts to go wrong just lower the pitch backdown and reassess. Breaking 2 strings in the first 10 minutes is OK,break 6 and you’ve gone on too long.On grand pianos put something across the strings or keep the liddown if that’s possible. Your eyes are important to you, somethingyou don’t want to realise once you’ve been hit in one by a brokenbottom A doing 95 miles an hour.It’s better in the long run to have another quick run through beforethe fine rather than carrying out two long fine tunings.

WISHING ALL STUDENTS AND THOSE STARTING OUT A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A GREAT 2013

FROM YOUR EDITOR!!!!!!

14

Anne Burton ThefourthannualSteinway/PTA daywas aseminarpresentedby theAmericanpiano

technician and author, DanielLevitan. Daniel’s presentation consisted of areview of the main aspects of his bookThe Craft of Piano Tuning and included acomplete tuning of a new Boston grandpiano – a feat which takes a lot of courageand skill to undertake in front of a roomfull of attentive piano tuners whilesimultaneously delivering a presentation!As tuning itself is only a part of thesynthesis of skills required by the pianotuner, Dan introduced the concept oftuning as “a collaboration between the earand the hand” and his book is thereforedivided into two parts; the first entitled

“The Tuner’s Ear” and the second, “TheTuner’s Hand”. Dan began his presentation with “TheTuner’s Hand” and the acknowledgmentthat stability and perfect unison tuning arefundamental in piano tuning technique.

We were introduced to the innovative de-sign of tuning levers that Dan has devel-oped, in particular the ‘C’ shaped lever,with the aim of reducing unintentionaltilting of the wrest pin. Dan’s detailed

analysis of the interaction between thespeaking length, the front string length,the tuning pin, the tuning lever and one’shand, greatly enhanced with the slides ofthe diagrams from his book, was focusedon the experience of tuning bothconsciously and unconsciously (not forget-ting ‘feel’). With a laser and a mirrormounted on one of the wrest pins of aloop string, he gave a very convincingdemonstration of the influence exerted onthis pin when changing the tension on theother side of the loop. The subject of muting was treated insome depth. Muting is covered when firststarting to tune and then not usually men-tioned again, until you encounter thebelief that the only professional way tomute strings is by wedges only – a beliefthat divides opinion. Dan demonstratedthat the use of two long listing strips canbe an effective way to achieve a pitchraise quickly while also introducing varie-ty into the routine of tuning. Keith Owenpointed out, and those present seemed toconcur, that with this approach, Dan hadgiven a renewed sense of respectabilitytowards use of listing strips in the UK.Dan also proposed that for speed and vari-ety when carrying out a pitch raise, onecould use a different lever as well as a dif-ferent method of laying the temperamentin conjunction with the listing strips, sothat fine tuning using one’s normalprocedure would feel like a fresh startboth mentally and physically. To helpachieve this, his sixty second tempera-ment was demonstrated to us in the sec-ond part, “The Tuner’s Ear”. “The Tuner’s Ear” covered basicacoustics, tuning theory – interval ratios,coincident partials and inharmonicity.

December 2012 15

Inharmonicity is a subject which Dan Lev-itan has clearly researched thoroughly.Through his understanding of this topic,he was able to demonstrate and pass on tous how to compensate for inharmonicityand the effect that it has on beat rateswhere there are differing levels ofinharmonicity – for example, when thereare wound strings within the temperament.During his tuning demonstration, Danshowed us how to use checks for assess-ing pitch, beat speeds, choosing octavesize, and for each area across the entirecompass of the piano. Some of us werevery much in awe of his ability to hearand instantaneously differentiate the beatspeeds of a progression of intervalsplayed fairly rapidly, a skill which he hasobviously developed through many yearsof experience. Our hearing was furtherchallenged with phantom notes and thencharmed with the “chord of nature” whichcan be used as one of the techniques tohelp in tuning the very top few notes inthe high treble. Interspersed were othergreat tips such as how to locate a buzzthat is excited from a note when you haveno-one to help you. Towards the end of the last session wemoved on to the subject of voicing and wewere encouraged to think about thequality and type of sound that would bedesirable. We were shown how to hear inorder to gather data, yet at the same timemaking us aware that we should not bepreparing the brain to favour a sound. Danhad a very clever demonstration of justhow easy it is to be lead up the gardenpath by telling us that he had voiced anote when in fact he hadn’t, yet wethought that the note sounded better! Effective and efficient are key wordsin summing up the motivation behindDan’s approach and he encourages thedevelopment of analytical skills. As he

says in his book, these skills “help us todevelop sensitivity in our ears and handsmore quickly, to solve problems more effi-ciently and also to understand why certaintechniques are effective, to make ourtunings more consistent and accurate, andto develop new techniques.” Dan Levitanshowed himself to be a very skilled teach-er and communicator. I thoroughly en-joyed the seminar and it was well receivedby the attendees. His book is a valuableresource which I highly recommend. Theenthusiasm and willingness with which heshared his knowledge was very evident,so much so that at the end of the afternoon,no-one was in a hurry to leave as manypeople wanted to try out his C shaped tun-ing lever, look at the various tools that hehas adapted, buy his book and get itsigned, pick his brains or just chat to him. Our thanks at the PTA therefore go toDaniel Levitan for his marvellous seminar,to David Widdecombe and Steinway &Sons for providing the grand piano andhosting the event, to Steve Cook of Fletch-er & Newman for providing copies of thebook The Craft of Piano Tuning for saleon the day, and to Allen Wright whoseinitial idea this was. Levitan, D., The Craft of Piano Tuning(New York: Soundboard Press, 2011).For more information visit:www.soundboardpress.com andwww.levitantuninglevers.com

PTA Patron Allen Wright tries out one of the unique‘C Shaped’ levers that Dan Levitan has designed.

16

Paul Fox

Please send your answers to The Editor by 20th January (2013!).No prizes but the winner will be listed in the next PTA News along with the answers.In the event of a tie, the one who has answered the questions in the most ‘full’ and

‘complete’ way will be the winner.Here at PTA News we’re always very grateful to Paul for making up the Christmas

Quiz. I know a lot of us enjoy working out the answers, with mince pie and sherry onthe table, whilst the rest of the Family are watching something useless on Telly.

If you don’t usually partake, why not have a crack at it? Enjoy…..

1. What is the name of the inventor of the Accutuner?(2,9)

2. What are the three types of bass damper feltshapes called? (4 – 5 – 5)

3. Name the milk derivative used for key covers (8) 4. What is the metal actuating lever in the keybed for

an una corda called? (6) 5. Which former PTA Trustee works at Morley

Galleries in London? (5,10) 6. What name did Herrburger Brooks change to after

the move from Long Eaton? (6) 7. Which French company produced a double-ended

grand piano? (6) 8. How many symphonies did Dmitri Shostakovich

write? 9. Which maker appended a sticker inside displaying

‘xxxxx Patent Girder Bars’? (5)10. Name given to the pedal parts mounted on the

plinth (8)11. What was the name of the college in Scotland

where tuning was taught? (9)12. What’s the name commonly given to Beethoven’s

5th Piano Concerto? (7)13. Julius Blüthner worked his abs, traction helped

design his klavier-mechanik (8)

December 2012 17

14. Which town is host to the PTA Scottish AutumnLunch? (11)

15. What was the Bentley piano called before‘Bentley’? (6,6)

16. Coffee shop lends its name to old upright actiondesign (5)

17. Who was the only female PTA President to date?(7,8)

18. Which Italian town is home to Paolo Fazioli? (6)19. Who wrote ‘Studies for Player Piano’? (6,9)20. Which German manufacturer bragged ‘Panzer

System’ on their frames? (4)

Become a Member Now!The Institute of Musical Instrument Technology are offering fast track membershipto current Members of the PTA

Some of the benefitsHave use of the M.I.M.I.T letters after your nameQuarterly magazineRegular meetings and seminarsAnnual conference (subsidised)

Wide range of membership open to all types of musical instruments makers andrepairers (subject to an acceptable qualification and professional standard history)

Join now and pay no registration fee saving £40.00Simply complete the application form and instead of having to complete all theformalities of references just include proof of your current PTA membershipnumber and pay the Annual fee of £65.50 which will come due again 1st April2014 giving new members:up to 16 months membership for the price of 12 months The sooner you apply the more you save !

Websitehttp://www.imit.org.uk

Application formhttp://www.imit.org.uk/application.pdf

December 2012 19

Les SherlockWhile I was writing the PTA historyduring 2004-2006, I had at the back of mymind that our centenary was not so veryfar away, and I was aware that by the timethis land-mark had arrived I would be tooold and decrepit to be able to write anupdate to produce the entire 100-yearhistory of the Association. Well, here weare, just a matter of weeks away from2013, with me old and decrepit, whoseget-up-and-go has long since got up andgone. However, since I did write thehistory and it would be nice to bring it upto date and complete the 100 years, itdoes seem logical for me to have anothercrack at it. So, much to my own surprise, Ifind myself back at the computer andtrawling through PTA history once again.This being the case, I am going public inorder to make two requests.

Firstly, if there are any errors oromissions in the original book, please willyou let me know so I can correct them?One or two people did contact me at thetime of the launch, and I have made thosechanges to the file. However, I no longerhave a record of them and, since the newsection could be produced as a separatedocument from the original history, itwould be good to include the correctionsin it. So even if you have told me before,please would you tell me again now soany mistakes can be rectified?

Secondly, the new section will be forthe period 2006-2013, and for the secondhalf of this time I have had little or nodirect involvement with the innerworkings of the PTA. Of course, this wasalso the case for the first two thirds of thePTA’s 100 years, and most of what wasincluded in the history came from theCouncil and AGM minutes along withPTA publications. So I shall do the sameagain now; but since most of today’sMembers have been involved during this

time, it wouldbe aconsiderable help if I could have somepersonal memories.

Therefore, please could you let mehave your record of PTA events after2005 that stand out in your mind? Mosthelpful would be in writing (not telephonecalls, as taking notes over the phone isliable to result in errors or me forgettingthings), and preferably via email; but ifyou do not have Internet access, then hardcopy would be fine. Not pages and pagesplease, and I cannot guarantee to includeeverything that is sent: it is most likelygoing to be an overview of what I receive,with a few quotes here and there. Thiskind of input will be essential if thehistory is going to reflect accurately allthat has taken place over the past six years.Since I need to put a deadline on this, I doneed to have anything you would like tosend in my hands by the end of this yearat the latest.

My intention is to produce thecompleted 100-year history as a Kindlebook, which will be accessible to anyonewith a computer (since Amazon have freeKindle reader software available fordownload) as well as those with anE-book. For those without a computer,and indeed perhaps for all those involvedwith the PTA, I shall discuss with the PTACouncil the possible publication of thenew section as a stand-alone supplementto the original book. As I want the historybook to end with the 2013 Convention, itobviously will not be available for then,but hopefully it will be fairly soonafterwards.

My addresses are:les.sherlock@thelighthouse.org.uk and 88Blandford Road North, POOLE, Dorset.BH16 6AD.

20

Clive Benson After the job at the college I

had the usual need to go to thetoilet and it occurred to me I spentmost of my time when tuningwanting to go to the toilet, and thatit was a constant inconvenience.

At least it had stopped raining and so Iwas able to carry the umbrella furled up(On the way into town the water on theroad was so bad there was even thepossibility I might not be able to get homeagain. And I had already been warnedthat the road to the next job was close toimpassable.) "Wanting to go to the toiletall the time is probably a symptom ofsome sort of cancer," I thought as I wentinto Greggs for another cup of tea. Therewas plenty of time before the next job toget to the ground and buy the tickets forthe FA Cup game against Hereford.

It was awkward getting on the buswith the tea and the umbrella, and onlywearing my bag over one shoulder, asthough refusing to accept that it keptslipping off. When I said "WhaddonRoad" to the driver he eyed mesuspiciously and said "Which stop?"

"The first," I replied. (There wasobviously a hike in price to the second.)When we approached the first stop I hadno hand to press the bell and so balancedmyself in the aisle assuming the driverwould stop but he merely carried on to thesecond stop, thinking no doubt that he hadme now. "I wonder if he'll say anything,"I thought. "If he does I won't respond."But he didn't say anything and so I merelygot off and started walking back towardsthe ground. (I hadn't been lying about thestop.)

Having got the Hereford tickets I wentto the club bar to use the toilet, balancingthe cup on top of the urinal. There was

still time then to eat thesandwich I had made. There was a benchon the main road, one bit of which wasn'twet. The tea was lukewarm now but thesandwich tasted good and after it I hadone of the buns I had bought to have withmy future mother-in-law later. "She'llunderstand," I thought. In any case theplastic bag had made a mess of the icing.

Then I went and waited at the bus stopacross the road. The bus was late and so Iwas late for the job, which was for ayoung couple who were obviouslywealthy because they were renting asmart house. I had only done the piano amonth before but it was a big pitch raiseand so needed redoing. For days I'd beenfretting about how much to charge. Sheasked me if I wanted a cup of tea but Isaid I would prefer water even though Ididn't want water either. There was afootstool there and I said how much Iliked the colour of the upholstery,wanting to give the impression I was areal person, which I felt was incompatiblewith being a piano tuner, but she said thatin fact they didn't like the colour and werethinking of changing it. Then she wentout to the bank to get the cash.

It was a small black grand with thename of a dealer on the front, giving theannoying impression he had made it. Iwent at it for about an hour before tearingmyself away and drinking the water downin one go. The lady gave me the cash andwe stood chatting at the front door forquite a while, as if she was keen for me tobe a real person too. Then I walked upthe drive holding the money but notcounting it in case she was watching fromthe window. It was a lovely autumnafternoon with dusk approaching.

December 2012 21

Everything was brown, even the sky,which was actually grey, and this mademe think about the approach of Christmas.I walked down the High Street to visit myfuture mother-in-law, explaining again

about the buns in my head. "She mustknow me by now," I thought. When I gotthere however, the first thing I did wasuse the toilet which was possibly a bitrude.

Douglas McBayOn 10 November, twelve PTAMembers and friends "set off" forthe Pirnhall Inn, Bannockburn,Stirling; the "perfect pitch" for thelunch in respect of location, qualityof food and the attentive service ofthe waiting staff.

The attendees were as follows:- JimClow, Fiona & David Gilroy, Bill Gray,Lynne & Andy Jamieson, DouglasMcBay, Roy O'Neil, Nancy & Bob Puller,Alistair Russell and Marjorie Vernal.Apologies were intimated from GordonBell, Paul Cohen and Jim Wylie.

At the lunch itself, "harmonicity"prevailed with much social chat, shop talkand a few jokes thrown in for goodmeasure. "Repetition" did "spring" upwith several references to the 2013congress at Bournemouth; Members need

not beremindedthat this congress will celebrate 100 yearsof the existence of the PTA. So get outyour diaries now and get these datesbooked in from Thursday 2nd May toSaturday 4th May 2013. May there be no

"slow return" in the flood of applications toAnnette's hands and I make no apology to

"hammer" the point home.At an appropriate point in the

proceedings, thanks were extended to thestaff of the Pirnhall Inn for excellentservice and fine food; to all present formaking the occasion so enjoyable; andfinally to Andy Jamieson who "fine tuned"the arrangements with his usual aplomband panache. Andy does this job so wellthat there will be no "escapement" in thefuture; and, if he thinks of resigning, restassured he will not be "let off"!

22

The PTA Christmas Pantomime by Keith OwenI wonder if, like me, anyone else ever ponders the notion that piano

tuning is a “culture-specific” occupation. That is to say, it is specific toour modern culture since we are the only civilization that has ever known the piano;and even then only for the last few hundred years, which is a mere semiquaver in theSonata of History. Without the music of modern Western Civilization and of coursethe piano, our work would be meaningless. So what about the period B.C. (BeforeCristofori)? What would we tuners have done?

Certain crafts are evident throughout history, almost from the dawn of time, inany society the archaeologists care to dig up. I refer, of course, to stonemasons,woodworkers, potters, metalworkers, glassblowers and the like; but as far as I know,no sherds of shattered tunings, no offcut octaves have ever been found in Petra orMachu Picchu.

It must be true, however, that the aptitudes and personal qualities we now use indeveloping our tuning skills existed in some individuals within these historicpopulations, even if they could find no outlet. How did they manifest themselves? Ifthere was no tonally based music, let alone the piano, how did they employ their auralgifts? Were they even aware of them?

Light may now be shed on this matter by the discovery of a fragment in therecently excavated ruins of the Rejected Scripts Department of the RomanBroadcasting Corporation. It is here proudly presented for the first time in print:

I, CLODDIUS.by Octavius Flatulus

(The Scene is set in an ante-room of the Imperial Palace, where theEmperor Cloddius III is pacing up and down. There is knock at the door)

Cloddius: Come.(Enter Smartycus, a lackey.)

Cloddius: What do you want? I’m busy planning a battle. It’s deliciouslypointless; thousands will die. Isn’t that amusing?

Smartycus: (Deadpan and without a flicker of irony) Yes, your ImperialGodliness, hilarious. I’m sorry to interrupt, but there’s a man to see you. He has thestamp of a plebeian.

Cloddius: Not another one! What does he want, for Jupiter’s sake? Some pettycomplaint about the slaughter of his entire family, I suppose.

Smartycus: He says he has this thing with his ears you might like to know about.Cloddius: His ears?? You’ve disturbed me for that??? Oh, well, I’ve lost my

train of thought now, so you might as well show him in. Oh, and order yourself ahundred lashes.

Smartycus: Of course, Glorious Divine One (With a wink to the audience) As if... (Smartycus goes out and returns with another man, Earsarus. He

is quite unremarkable except for the most enormous ears. He is wearing a grubby tunic and carrying a cheap fibre attache case.

Cloddius turns his gaze on the newcomer: after a pause, he speaks)Cloddius: What’s this about your ears, then? They’re certainly big enough. I’ve

seen smaller paddles on a Macedonian ramming galley.Earsarus: Imperial Majesty, I come to share my gift with you. (Proudly)

December 2012 23

I can hear beating.Cloddius:Of course you can; this room is right next to the punishment block.Earsarus: No, Sire, I mean I can discern and judge the speed of beating sounds.Cloddius: Splendid! We’ve got Synchronized Flogging at next week’s carnival.

You shall adjudicate. You’ll enjoy it; it’s just after the Lion Dancing.Earsarus: Oh, dear, er, no; What I mean is, I can detect heterodyning.Cloddius: I don’t see how. We never eat in mixed company.(Proffers dish of sweetmeats) Have a candied lamprey.

Earsarus: (with a nervous laugh) Well, um, actually, your Divine Majesty,heterodyning has no culinary association at all; it’s a different sort of dyning Sire.

Cloddius: (Losing patience) Well, what is it then?Earsarus: (Without pausing for breath) Heterodyning is merely the manifestation

of the aural phenomenon of two nearly coincident stable sonic frequencies passing inand out of phase thereby creating an audible pulse equivalent in speed to the differencebetween the two frequencies irrespective of the mode of calibration. The resultantpulse can in some cases manifest as a third pitch equivalent to the frequency difference.In theory you could use it to detect bats. It’s really awfully simple.

Cloddius: (Incandescent with rage) Simple?? SIMPLE??? I’ll show you what’ssimple. Having you fed to my cat. THAT’S SIMPLE!!! GUARDS!!!

Earsarus: B-b-b-but, Divinity, I haven’t told you of my Dream yet.Cloddius: (Mollified) Dream? You didn’t mention a Dream. Lucky for you I

quite fancy myself as an interpreter of Dreams. Go on then, let's hear it.Earsarus: I dreamed of an Aeolian Harp of marvellous design making wondrous

and entrancing sounds the like of which I had never before heard.Cloddius: What’s a Nolian Harp?Earsarus: A musical instrument with vibrating strings. Actually I noticed on the

way in that Your Imperial Divinity has one hanging outside his back door. The windworks it.

Cloddius: Is that what it is? I thought it was a slicer for dodo eggs. They makeplenty of wind. Er, do go on.

Earsarus: This Aeolian Harp I was telling you about had many strange levers tomake it sound and a Wondrous Golden Message on the front, saying:

"Albert Hepplethwaite, London, Paris and Wyre Piddle Upright Iron Grand, Full Trichord, Check Action"

I wondered at what this might mean – in particular I wished to know what the Trichordwas Full of, and how I should Check the Action, when a Dream Guide appeared to meand besought me to find the Sacred Virgins of the New Ark to seek guidance. TheseVirgins are sworn to abstain from alcohol and know nothing of the fleshly delights ofcarnal love.

Cloddius: What did they say?Earsarus: I don't know; that's when I realised I was hallucinating and woke up.Cloddius: Well, what about this harp then?Earsarus: Well, the point is, this harp, it heterodyned a lot and suddenly I felt a

mission to seek out this magical device to hetero more dynes if I could. At least, Ithink that was the idea. Anyway, I came here to seek your Glorious guidance on how Icould go about it. And a few Denaria if you can spare them. For the Honour of Rome,naturally. Continued page 25

December 2012 25

Cloddius: Sorry, old fellow, thanks for asking, but I don’t think I can help. Tellyou what, though; I’d still like you to judge the Synchronized Flogging – we couldadd Harmonized Wailing if that would make it more interesting for you. (Loweringhis voice) Since you’re all technical and good at this ear thingy, I’m going to let you inon a secret. As Emperor, I am, as you know, a god. Well, I’ve discovered I can hearthe Music of the Spheres! It’s a sort of high pitched ringing. I hear it mostly with myleft ear when I lie down a night. Bit of a nuisance, really, but quite a privilege, don'tyou think? Well now, I've grown to like you; you seem a decent sort. Tell you what,come and see my Hanging Gardeners, very pretty at this time of year.

Earsarus: Don't you mean Hanging Gardens?Cloddius: (as they wander off) No, I jolly well don't; blighters planted tulips

where I wanted daffs...(Exeunt)

FINIS.Seven ways to approach a tuning career in Ancient Rome, one for each Hill:

1. Invent the piano early. 2. Write some music for it. 3. Teach yourself to play it. 4. Give concerts to make itpopular. 5. Give lessons (to make it unpopular). 6. Offer tuning services for your pupils.7. Discover that even though you've only just invented the instrument, the parents of your pupils will stillmanage to find old clapped out pianos used in the Arena for gladiatorial piano smashing contests and thenthink the best time to have them tuned is three days before their offspring are due to take Grade Three of theABRSM (Associated Board of the Roman Schools of Music) whilst naturally assuming that the repair ofeleven broken hammer shanks, two split lever flanges and a squeaky pedal is all part of the tuning.

The meeting of the ExecutiveCouncil was held on 29thSeptember at Morleys, Lewisham.

Present were Keith Owen (President),John Lambert (Vice President), AndrewJamieson (Treasurer), Annette Summers(Secretary), Anne Burton, Barry Caradine,Matthew Gough and Tania Staite.

Lewis Flisher attended in his role aspart of the Convention Team.

Apologies were received from ColinCrawford, Nigel Polmear and JosephTaylor.

Our Centenary Year is almost upon usand many plans are underway. At theforefront of these is our CentenaryConvention in Bournemouth and all isbeing prepared.

The 2014 Convention will now be inBolton after all, since contractualproblems have been solved.

Our new Centenary Logo to be used inour advertising, leaflets and letterheadswas chosen and approved.

Exiting ideas for advertising werediscussed and the budget for this, ourCentenary Year, was increased. It is likelythat we will advertise the PTA in nextyears Proms Guide.

Centenary events at Finchcocks andReigate have been organised for next year.

Keith attended the Europianodelagates Meeting in Salzburg and theEuropiano degree was also discussedthere.

John Lambert gave initial thoughts onthe possibilities of ContinuingProfessional Development for Members.

Code of Conduct ‘fine tuning’discussions are continuing.

We have been donated some items forwhich we are grateful.

The next meeting will be on 26thJanuary 2013 at 12pm at Morleys,Lewisham.

A full copy of the minutes is availablefrom the Secretary.

Matthew Gough

26

I enjoyed your editorial in thelast edition and the way yourfamily pet was neatly included –especially the photo of him on topof your piano! I also enjoyed CliveBenson's successful conclusion ofhis long-running late paymentsaga – many would have given upafter all that time!

In your 'Stocking Filler' articleyou recommended a thin shankedscrewdriver for removing hammerswithout putting undue strain on thejacks. Here's an additional tipwhich they didn't tell me at college:remove the key and sometimesthe lever and jack will drop downfar enough to reveal the hammerflange screw – it depends on thesetting of the damper spoon howfar it will drop, but I find that thisoften helps.Keep up the good work!

Michelle Rudd (1022)

Many thanks to all whoresponded to my Yamaha celestepedal search. Not a lost cause...In the end my mechanic did amarvellous job of welding back

together the twopieces. Nowsuccessfully refitted andperforming essential celestialservices splendidly! :-)

On another note, you mayhave read my article about tuningin Sierra Leone in the last issue.Well, Raymond Le Faux fromFreetown, Sierra Leone is veryeager to learn some of the basicskills of being a Piano Techinican.He is already a very talented brassplayer, and is a music teacher atthe Ballanta Music Academy. Hehas now secured sponsorshipfrom the Mothers Union to fund atwo month trip to the UK.

Would anyone be willing andable to offer him work experiencein minor repairs and possibly thebasics of tuning?This would be anamazing opportunity for him to beable to take back some skills toone of the poorest countries onEarth.

You would be paid for yourtime and expenses.

Please message me for moredetails.

Fran Overbury (S307)

Happy Customer

Fran Yam Update

Wishing all contributors to PTA News, all you readers and allwho have offered their support to me through the year a

VERY HAPPY, JOYFUL and PEACEFUL CHRISTMASand a RELAXING and fulfilling CHRISTMAS. May yourChristmas holidays help you to recharge your batteries and

leave you ready and poised for a superb and successful 2013,our Centenary Year no less!

HAPPY TUNING INDEED!!! From Matthew

December 2012 27

Please note theseCentenary Events dates in your diary:

Friday 1st March 2013, 6.30-8.30pmMeet The PTA Event

The Piano Workshop. Reigate, SurreyThe latest silent system from Yamaha and their ‘X’ range of Grands.

All tuners welcome but please bring a non PTA tuner if you can.To book telephone: 01737 242174 Mobile: 07770 853390

Email:info@pianoworkshop.co.uk

2nd - 4th May 2013PTA Centenary Convention

The Days Hotel, BournemouthClasses and Fun! More details to follow. Book the dates in your diary now!

19th to 20th July 2013PTA/Finchcocks Workshop on Historic Broadwoods

Finchcocks, Goudhurst, KentThe workshop includes original factory regulation specifications.

Contact Alastair Laurence at John Broadwood Ltd Tel: 01580 212713

Saturday 9th November 2013PTA Scottish Autumn Lunch

The Pirnhall Inn, Bannockburn More details soon

For enquiries, PTA goods, changes of address or contact details:Mrs Annette SummersPTA SecretaryPO Box 1312LightwaterWOKING GU18 5UBTel: 0845 602 8796 or 01276 850325E-Mail: secretary@pianotuner.org.uk

DEADLINE FOR ARTICLES: FRIDAY 18th JanuaryArticles, letters and photos to: ptanews@pianotuner.org.uk or to address on page 3.Please email photos separately to articles.

***A Happy Christmas to One and All***