The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-13

PIANOFORTE PHYSICIANS.
The One thousand Tuners Of New York CITY
Quack Professional Exposed.

The One thousand Tuners Of New v ork CITY
AQuack Professional Exposed.
In most well regulated households the
parlors are considered incom plete without the
presence Of pianoforte. The possession OF
pisnoforte involves the OCCASIONAL employment
OF a tuner-who occupies to the instrument the
same relation that the physician bears to the
family The pianoforte tuner, although he may
not he required 80 often as the physician. never
theless receives, In many cases, an equally large
fee for his visits. There are In this city nearly
ono thousand professional pianoforte tuners,
most OF whom are rarely without sufficient en-
poymcnt to keep them busy As booy, they
are quiet and unobtrusive. and many OF them
are possessed Of good education.
The work OF the tuner upon the piano begins
before the instrument Is finished. After II is
"strung" the tuner draws UP the cords
strings to proper tension for the nnisber.
After the tuner has properly set II, the reRu-
htor" receives II and adjusts tho keys and
hampers. This being done, the tuner again
comes into requisitioD, and tunes IL up " for the
tone From his hands 1t passes into the ware
room, where for the last time prior to Its sale
the tuner brings the strings up to the proper
tension for playing, although, should tho in
strument remain longer on hand than is antici-
pated, the tuner attached to the warerooms and
factory must keep II In order All pianos re-
! quire tuning at least every three months, par
| tculary those which are In use In private
houses. or all musical instruments the piano Is
the moot troublesome and the hardest to keen
| In tune, and all others ercept the piano are
tuned up to what the professional tuner techni-
Cally terms perfect"
Tuners outside Of the manufacturing and
warerooms have regular routes OF customers,
and at their rooms await the inevitable Please
| call-our plano Is awfully out Of tune" written
| In the delicate chirograpny OF the feminine
hand.
GOOD TUNERS NOT ALWAYS GOOD MUSICIANS.
One thing NAV be noted "a somewhat singular
and that is mat good tuner Is not necessarily
good musician. A quick ear to detect the
slightest increase or decrease Of tone In "set.
ting the Temperament" ot the Instrument is the
chief faculty required. Bv the temperament of
the piano Is meant the first seven notes, or
rather the nrst octave.
| There are ut present In this city two or three
tuner. OF pianos aud harps who eau scarcely dis
tinguish one air from another. and who Vet oc-
| cupv a nrst-class position as tuners, and are ca
| paOle OF giving the very nicest adjustment to
the tune Of the Instrument. These tuners are,
! however exceptions. most of the profession be-
ing capable 81 playing TO certain extent. The
tuners do not coEnne their sklll u the plano
/ forte; church orsans, harps. guitars, come with
The charge OF tuner for visit and restoring
the piau0 Of bis customer to its normal condi-
ton - harmonic nea!ta ranges from 1850 to
g. Regular customers OF course, Ike regular
customers IN all business. are not charged so
much. 4 he tuners services are not required
upon the large church organs oftaner than once
/ In every Ave years, and the ordinary reed orsans
and melOdeons SO largeIy in us In private houses
and the smaller concert nails. seldom require
tuning more than once III two VI three Years
Kept IN order. away from the fire or heat Of
! the stove or CRAZE. and at distance from the
Windows Il the apartment In which II Is placed,
aud also kept hvc or SIX inches from contact
| with the wall. good piano will last twenty-five
years tefore II Is necessary ~ reNre II from ac-
| tive service.
THE GRAsDFATHER OF ALL THE PIANOS.
In an old residence Up town there Is an old
English plano. one OF the old ljoardman pattern.
to which the recuperative talent OF the tuner Is
applied upon an average of once In every two
! months. Through the csrc with which 10 has
been kept Its strange, thin. old yellow KEYS have
responded to tho pressure OF The fair fingers Of
/ three generations Ol the daughters OF TIE FAM
/ iy They have eruwn up, married. ana passed
awsf. aud Iet there stan = ne quaint old relic;
] the turner aud the player. lie tuner has come
/ IAN old grand father" ana he 4 eaks of IL a.
revcrenty. there is also a herp in the same
/ residence when has been an heirloom In the
family nearly my We rs and II ia sin taken out
! Of its coverings upon the occurrence OF festive
meetings anu played How many generations
/ of strnfs It Las worn ouI Il l. hard to eouJec-
turc.
1t Is rule that everybody who owns piano
| thinks II " the hest" aud Woe TO the tuners
chances OF ever touching the instrument again
should he inadvertently In reply TO the inevits-
Die question, Isn't 1T splendid instrumentt'
| or Isn't this make Of piano the most per
iect ne should intimate that i lacked some
essential requisite which Mrs. Smiths piano
infrequently and not without perhap, some
quakings OF conscience compelled to he lavish
/ OF his praises sometimes OF instruments which
all his SAIL can scarcely keep ia order.
A QUAcK IN THE Profession.
Bur few weeks since tuner, otherwise
! known as "A " Piano Doctor" was called IN great
haste to piano in one OF the fashionable resi-
| dences on the Heights in brooklyn. There was
to be a party that evening. and II was essential
! that the instrument should be In Perfect order.
one tuner had attended 10 II the PREVIOUS day.
but had failed Ia his task.
Inc second tuner, one ~ the most experienced
In New York came and felt the pulse OF the
/ patient. aud speedil, discovered whY " the thing
| wouldn't work. The tuner who had preceded
J him had In lieu Of one Of the wires stretched an
ordinary catgut string, IN which IN that novel
/ position there was about as much music as there
Il in a biz OF wrapping twlne.
THAT fellow saii the tuner. "wls aquack."
The tuners very often secure very profitable
! customers through the music teachers who
| recommend them when this Is done the usual
division Of profit occurs.
1t requires from three TO Ave years TO learn
! the business OF "tunins." During the first year
| the learner or apprentice pays his own
! peDses in the second year II Is matter u ex-
| pertinent; and II they have In that time become
| thoroughly yersed IN tue mechanism Of the in
strument, they Will be abie at least 10 partially
! earn living. The regular tuners Of tho manu-
| factories receive salaries winch range from so
! to SIS per week. OF course those have not much
! opportunity 10 attend TO Gus omers outside.
OF the thousand tuners In the city more than
| half are able to make very respectable incomes,
! and their occupation btings them In contact
| with the wealtnier and more fashionable class
OF our citizens, that as to dress and gentiiity
! Of appearance they are under certain definite
| Obligations.
The Troftina Horse SmupaIer