Time for Summer Tuning!
Humidity and Temperature have the most consequential effect upon a piano's tuning and stability.
Spring is notorious for up and down temps and eastern NC is particularly notorious for drastic changes.
With higher temperatures comes higher humidity; with lower temperature the inverse is true.
Consider a Dampp-Chaser Humidity Control unit in addition to your regular tuning and maintenance.
Welcome to Kingsfriend Piano Tuning & Service.
Serving Eastern North Carolina: Onslow, Carteret, Duplin, Sampson, and Surrounding Counties.
Licensed to work in any county in NC, actually.
910.548.0505
Hello, my name is Sean Capparuccia and I want to tell you that piano maintenance, including regular tuning, is an often overlooked feature of piano ownership. The piano sits there beautifully along the wall and all of the thousands of parts inside are never seen. We never see the humidity slowly swelling the felt dampers and hammers, not to mention corroding the strings; we never see the mice and creepy-crawly things that sometimes take up residence inside there and use bits of wood and material for bedding and food; we don't see the copious amounts of dust which accumulate all over the inner workings of this wonderful machine. Those without discriminating ears often do not hear the strings going slightly out of tune, and then increasingly out of tune as time goes by. But it happens.
Regular, semi-annual, maintenance is important to the long and healthy life of your piano. Don't neglect it any longer.
"A fine piano is a work of art. Therefore to treat it roughly, carelessly or negligently is to commit a crime against a beautiful piece of expensive craftsmanship. To pay a lot of money for a fine piano and then allow it to go to ruin for lack of expert care is not merely aesthetically wrong - it is bad business."
~Wm. Braid White, Piano Tuning and Allied Arts, 1946.
Humidity and Temperature have the most consequential effect upon a piano's tuning and stability.
Spring is notorious for up and down temps and eastern NC is particularly notorious for drastic changes.
With higher temperatures comes higher humidity; with lower temperature the inverse is true.
Consider a Dampp-Chaser Humidity Control unit in addition to your regular tuning and maintenance.
Welcome to Kingsfriend Piano Tuning & Service.
Serving Eastern North Carolina: Onslow, Carteret, Duplin, Sampson, and Surrounding Counties.
Licensed to work in any county in NC, actually.
910.548.0505
Hello, my name is Sean Capparuccia and I want to tell you that piano maintenance, including regular tuning, is an often overlooked feature of piano ownership. The piano sits there beautifully along the wall and all of the thousands of parts inside are never seen. We never see the humidity slowly swelling the felt dampers and hammers, not to mention corroding the strings; we never see the mice and creepy-crawly things that sometimes take up residence inside there and use bits of wood and material for bedding and food; we don't see the copious amounts of dust which accumulate all over the inner workings of this wonderful machine. Those without discriminating ears often do not hear the strings going slightly out of tune, and then increasingly out of tune as time goes by. But it happens.
Regular, semi-annual, maintenance is important to the long and healthy life of your piano. Don't neglect it any longer.
"A fine piano is a work of art. Therefore to treat it roughly, carelessly or negligently is to commit a crime against a beautiful piece of expensive craftsmanship. To pay a lot of money for a fine piano and then allow it to go to ruin for lack of expert care is not merely aesthetically wrong - it is bad business."
~Wm. Braid White, Piano Tuning and Allied Arts, 1946.
Please call Lara Capparuccia
today to schedule a tuning.
Do you have a question about Pianos or other Instruments?
Shoot us an email or text - or call even - and we'll try our best to get it answered.
[email protected]
(910)548.0505 (or 0506 to speak with Sean)
today to schedule a tuning.
Do you have a question about Pianos or other Instruments?
Shoot us an email or text - or call even - and we'll try our best to get it answered.
[email protected]
(910)548.0505 (or 0506 to speak with Sean)
How often should I get my piano tuned?
Industry standard is to tune every six months. And this isn't just for tuning purposes but for maintenance purposes. The piano is highly susceptible to changes in temperature and humidity so when our homes/churches/etc. switch from A/C to heat there is a huge change in humidity which is the number one cause of tuning problems in pianos. Can't get it tuned every six months? At least get it tuned annually. (This from a guy who drives 7-8000 miles before changing his oil instead of the recommended 5,000!) Hey, we're all trying to save a little money. Just be careful you don't end up with a huge repair bill because you wanted to save on the lesser maintenance bills.
Industry standard is to tune every six months. And this isn't just for tuning purposes but for maintenance purposes. The piano is highly susceptible to changes in temperature and humidity so when our homes/churches/etc. switch from A/C to heat there is a huge change in humidity which is the number one cause of tuning problems in pianos. Can't get it tuned every six months? At least get it tuned annually. (This from a guy who drives 7-8000 miles before changing his oil instead of the recommended 5,000!) Hey, we're all trying to save a little money. Just be careful you don't end up with a huge repair bill because you wanted to save on the lesser maintenance bills.
What should I do to prepare for the Tuner?
What a great question; thanks for asking. First, please take all the objects off of your piano because I have to open the lid to tune. Second, if at all possible, try to maintain a quiet environment during the tuning. I have tuned with a T.V. on not 6 feet from from me (C.S.I. NY); with an adorable baby in a baby seat that played little tunes whenever it hit the big red button; with a family having dinner loudly discussing the day's events... Friends, I enjoy being a part of your family's day; it honors me greatly. But the extra noise slows down the process. I'd rather get the tuning done then sit down to dinner with you and enjoy the conversation.
What a great question; thanks for asking. First, please take all the objects off of your piano because I have to open the lid to tune. Second, if at all possible, try to maintain a quiet environment during the tuning. I have tuned with a T.V. on not 6 feet from from me (C.S.I. NY); with an adorable baby in a baby seat that played little tunes whenever it hit the big red button; with a family having dinner loudly discussing the day's events... Friends, I enjoy being a part of your family's day; it honors me greatly. But the extra noise slows down the process. I'd rather get the tuning done then sit down to dinner with you and enjoy the conversation.
Tuning and Practicing.
You want your child to practice more, and believe me, your child's teacher definitely wants him/her to practice more. But your piano just doesn't sound as good as the piano teacher's. Your child knows this; they hear the difference and they can feel the difference. How we sound when we practice is a great help or hindrance to our desire to practice. Nobody wants to practice on an out of tune piano with dead keys. It's just no fun. And that goes for any instrument we may take up. Quality matters. If your piano is out of tune, get it tuned: for its sake, for your child's sake, and for your sake who has to listen to them practice.
You want your child to practice more, and believe me, your child's teacher definitely wants him/her to practice more. But your piano just doesn't sound as good as the piano teacher's. Your child knows this; they hear the difference and they can feel the difference. How we sound when we practice is a great help or hindrance to our desire to practice. Nobody wants to practice on an out of tune piano with dead keys. It's just no fun. And that goes for any instrument we may take up. Quality matters. If your piano is out of tune, get it tuned: for its sake, for your child's sake, and for your sake who has to listen to them practice.
Acoustic Piano or Electronic Keyboard?
Well you know what I'll say!! But business aside, it's all about touch. Now there are some very good - and expensive - keyboards that have a more natural touch but there is nothing like the touch and response of an acoustic piano. Keyboards undoubtedly have their place and we use one all the time for gigs and dances and what-nots. But for serious study, the acoustic piano takes precedence because it teaches the proper feel for the piano player. The art of playing the piano is not simply learning the notes and pushing down the right keys. It is about learning how to touch the instrument and how to make it respond to you - the player - in the way you want it to respond. So, the action, the touch resistance, the weight of the keys, all of these things are important to a proper study of the piano. Think of it like this: it's like a robot and a mom. Robots may be neat and versatile and able to do lots of cool things but when you need a hug.... you go to mom. She hugs back. Keyboards are functional; pianos feel.
Well you know what I'll say!! But business aside, it's all about touch. Now there are some very good - and expensive - keyboards that have a more natural touch but there is nothing like the touch and response of an acoustic piano. Keyboards undoubtedly have their place and we use one all the time for gigs and dances and what-nots. But for serious study, the acoustic piano takes precedence because it teaches the proper feel for the piano player. The art of playing the piano is not simply learning the notes and pushing down the right keys. It is about learning how to touch the instrument and how to make it respond to you - the player - in the way you want it to respond. So, the action, the touch resistance, the weight of the keys, all of these things are important to a proper study of the piano. Think of it like this: it's like a robot and a mom. Robots may be neat and versatile and able to do lots of cool things but when you need a hug.... you go to mom. She hugs back. Keyboards are functional; pianos feel.
Should I begin with the piano?
There are a lot of instruments to choose from. And I hear that when a child hits middle school now, they must choose to play in band by 6th grade or not at all. Maybe that's just where I live, I don't know. Nevertheless, there are several years before 6th grade to be playing something and learning the language of music. We get asked all the time if a child should start with piano. The answer is: yes. Here's why. Only the piano has all of the notes laid out in front you. When we learn the language of music we also must learn the theory of the language and the piano affords the student a great advantage in this. For example, what does a major 3rd look like? Well, we could play that interval on any instrument and hear it but on a piano we can see it. Intervals are the basic building blocks of all music and to be able to see those intervals, not just hear them, is a definite plus. Plus, from a socio-literary point of view, there is a lot in our culture that use piano analogies so it can only make one more intelligent.
There are a lot of instruments to choose from. And I hear that when a child hits middle school now, they must choose to play in band by 6th grade or not at all. Maybe that's just where I live, I don't know. Nevertheless, there are several years before 6th grade to be playing something and learning the language of music. We get asked all the time if a child should start with piano. The answer is: yes. Here's why. Only the piano has all of the notes laid out in front you. When we learn the language of music we also must learn the theory of the language and the piano affords the student a great advantage in this. For example, what does a major 3rd look like? Well, we could play that interval on any instrument and hear it but on a piano we can see it. Intervals are the basic building blocks of all music and to be able to see those intervals, not just hear them, is a definite plus. Plus, from a socio-literary point of view, there is a lot in our culture that use piano analogies so it can only make one more intelligent.
Pride & Humility: An Approach to Learning
There is an interesting trend among people today that probably constitutes one of the biggest reasons why very few actually get really good at something: Pride. In decades past people took up the challenge, they studied and practiced, they learned patience through trial and error, they overcame and got good at a skill. Now it seems so many have lost this virtue and if the challenge lasts more than two or three months and the student hasn't become a master, well, all is lost, give up, chuck it all, go to the next thing.
This is nothing but pride. Anybody with any wisdom would tell you that a skill worth having is not going to come easy, nor should it, or else it wouldn't be a skill worth having. Kids hear a fantastic musician and want to sound just like that but when it doesn't happen in a short amount of time they give up. And I fear there is now a generation of parents who actually buy into this line of thinking and blame the teachers that their child isn't a prodigy. Pride. Nothing but pride.
If a student truly wants to learn and master something they must - and the parents must teach them - humble themselves before the teacher who knows more and plays better and LEARN. We live in a society ruled by passions and feelings and not very much by reason. But reason would tell you that this teacher, this person who has studied and put in the time to master a skill, knows more than you and is willing to pass the knowledge on to you therefore you should patiently listen and do what the teacher instructs. This is humility.
Humility will make a Master; Pride will make a Disaster.
There is an interesting trend among people today that probably constitutes one of the biggest reasons why very few actually get really good at something: Pride. In decades past people took up the challenge, they studied and practiced, they learned patience through trial and error, they overcame and got good at a skill. Now it seems so many have lost this virtue and if the challenge lasts more than two or three months and the student hasn't become a master, well, all is lost, give up, chuck it all, go to the next thing.
This is nothing but pride. Anybody with any wisdom would tell you that a skill worth having is not going to come easy, nor should it, or else it wouldn't be a skill worth having. Kids hear a fantastic musician and want to sound just like that but when it doesn't happen in a short amount of time they give up. And I fear there is now a generation of parents who actually buy into this line of thinking and blame the teachers that their child isn't a prodigy. Pride. Nothing but pride.
If a student truly wants to learn and master something they must - and the parents must teach them - humble themselves before the teacher who knows more and plays better and LEARN. We live in a society ruled by passions and feelings and not very much by reason. But reason would tell you that this teacher, this person who has studied and put in the time to master a skill, knows more than you and is willing to pass the knowledge on to you therefore you should patiently listen and do what the teacher instructs. This is humility.
Humility will make a Master; Pride will make a Disaster.
What should I look for in a Piano Teacher?
Answer: Does the piano teacher teach how to read music?
This is probably the single most important distinction in piano teachers. There are a lot of teachers who teach by rote, i.e., "Watch me, then you play it." Now, let me tell you something that really irks me and it is related to the previous article on pride and humility. Parents tend to think that their child is learning so much more under the Rote teacher simply because they can play some songs that actually sound nice. Fur Elise at a blindingly lightning speed always impresses! But if they learned by rote, they have actually learned nothing but how to move their little fingers. Eventually the fingers will outperform the brain and piano will get very boring because there is no understanding and the old songs will, well, they'll get old. The musician who can read is not limited to what they have heard before.
A good piano teacher will begin a student like this: 1. "Play something for me.... Wow! That's nice." 2. "Now play this...." and s/he will put some music in front of the student. Here's the real test. Can they read? Then a good piano teacher will begin where the student is and proceed from there teaching how to read, how to move the fingers, how to be a musician.
So to put it in a nutshell, when calling a new piano teacher ask: "Do you teach how to read music?"
Answer: Does the piano teacher teach how to read music?
This is probably the single most important distinction in piano teachers. There are a lot of teachers who teach by rote, i.e., "Watch me, then you play it." Now, let me tell you something that really irks me and it is related to the previous article on pride and humility. Parents tend to think that their child is learning so much more under the Rote teacher simply because they can play some songs that actually sound nice. Fur Elise at a blindingly lightning speed always impresses! But if they learned by rote, they have actually learned nothing but how to move their little fingers. Eventually the fingers will outperform the brain and piano will get very boring because there is no understanding and the old songs will, well, they'll get old. The musician who can read is not limited to what they have heard before.
A good piano teacher will begin a student like this: 1. "Play something for me.... Wow! That's nice." 2. "Now play this...." and s/he will put some music in front of the student. Here's the real test. Can they read? Then a good piano teacher will begin where the student is and proceed from there teaching how to read, how to move the fingers, how to be a musician.
So to put it in a nutshell, when calling a new piano teacher ask: "Do you teach how to read music?"
Can I tune to something other than A=440?
A440 is the standard tuning. But you can tune to anything you want. It has been said that A432 - “Verdi's A" - is "in tune with the laws of nature and mathematically consistent with the universe." Some say that it produces a calming effect. A435 is sometimes preferred by string players. A410-425 seems to be the go-to Hz for pianos that haven't been tuned in a long time. Incidentally, no one has ever asked me to tune sharp.
Pianos & Politics
"So, are you a Trumper?" the Client asked. "I'm your piano tuner," I replied. No doubt we live in a highly charged political atmosphere; I'm OK with that. And I have my opinions just like you do. And, quite frankly, I love sharing my opinions and the facts that back up my opinions. But I really don't like arguing with my Clients because I'm here to serve you, to tune your piano, to enable you to make beautiful music. So please don't turn my service into a political campaign. And to be honest it is rather unfair to force me to share my thoughts which are contrary to yours while trying to earn my paycheck from you. So if you are a civil debater and can separate our discussion from the services I am rendering, feel free to engage. Civil discussions should benefit us all. Am I a Trumper? I am a Truther - let's talk about that!
"So, are you a Trumper?" the Client asked. "I'm your piano tuner," I replied. No doubt we live in a highly charged political atmosphere; I'm OK with that. And I have my opinions just like you do. And, quite frankly, I love sharing my opinions and the facts that back up my opinions. But I really don't like arguing with my Clients because I'm here to serve you, to tune your piano, to enable you to make beautiful music. So please don't turn my service into a political campaign. And to be honest it is rather unfair to force me to share my thoughts which are contrary to yours while trying to earn my paycheck from you. So if you are a civil debater and can separate our discussion from the services I am rendering, feel free to engage. Civil discussions should benefit us all. Am I a Trumper? I am a Truther - let's talk about that!
Tuning by Ear or With a Machine - Do I Tune Be Ear
I have found that most people these days could not care less how you tune a piano, just that it gets tuned. And I guess that in days gone by nearly all tuners tuned by ear, or aurally, which is great. These days there are certainly a lot of tuners who can tune aurally, some who can't at all, and some who can but don't. But the truth is, all tuners do some tuning by ear regardless of whether they use a machine or not. I prefer to use my Sanderson Accu-tuner SAT IV because it can fit a specific tuning to your piano. Call it a crutch, I don't care, but you will be happy with your tuning.
I have found that most people these days could not care less how you tune a piano, just that it gets tuned. And I guess that in days gone by nearly all tuners tuned by ear, or aurally, which is great. These days there are certainly a lot of tuners who can tune aurally, some who can't at all, and some who can but don't. But the truth is, all tuners do some tuning by ear regardless of whether they use a machine or not. I prefer to use my Sanderson Accu-tuner SAT IV because it can fit a specific tuning to your piano. Call it a crutch, I don't care, but you will be happy with your tuning.
