The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-03
THE MEN WHO TUNE PIANOS
MOST OF THEM ARE GRADUATES or
THE BIG FACTORIES.

Earned In Tuning Instruments Fo
professional Performers-Valuable Jew
elry Found In tho Old square Pianos
During the fourteen years that have beer
working in New York 1 have tuned nearly 20 OoC
pianos" said an old time tuning fork ma N VIII,
In still In harness This frure out on the bas,,
that on every weekday during tbes, fourt,er
years, with the exception OF inconsiderable yaca
tons or short periods OF illness, have tuned sis
or sight pianoa OF course, have used the forl
| on many of these instruments dozens Of tmea
| and have not tuned 20 600 different pianos
| am only giving figures on the work I've done
| There are many piano tuners in New York who
have done quite as much New York people az
q rule. keep their pianos in good condition. In
Now York, as in all seaport cities pianos get out
| Of tune much more quickly than in the inland
cities for the salt air Of the sea gets In lis work
| on piano strings rusts and expands them. and
they rapidly 70 fiat IL the instruments are not
kept tightly closed all the time when not in use
Plano tuners are for the most part graduated
from the great piano factories in this country and
England. There are great many English
piano tuners in this country. In fact, they about
divide the work with American piano tuners.
although the signs OF a decided Teutonic invasion
In the profession are beginning TO be noticed
While the piano tuner is required TO know every
part in tho makeup Of q piano, and TO be able to
take an instrument completely apart and to re-
assemble the parts no is not necessarily piano
repairer. There are hundreds Of expert repairers
OF pianos who wouldn't be able to tune an instr,,-
ment they had overhauled TO savo them
selves Perhaps moro than the man Of any other
profession, the piano tuner is born, not made
His acute sense Of the vibrations Of sound Ia given
10 him at his birth, and the man not 80 endowed
can never become piano tuner When you dis
covor that your growing boy Is unable 10 whistle
Yankee Doodle without working in a dozen or 40
OF narrowing false notes. you would be wasting
your money II you set him to learn the violin or
the piano or any other musical instrument for,
MS ear not being true, he could not master an In
strument in thousand years When, az q young
man, was employed in one of the big piano fac
tories. know scores Of men who could finish almost
overy part Of superb piano. but in whose cars
the sounding Of q ninth note for an octave would
have awakened no disturbance whatever so dor
mAnt was their musical sense OF course pinno
tuners could mover be made OF such men
1t Is not in the slightest degree necessary that
piano tuner should be a performer or even A
moderately good player As A matter of fact
the majority of piano tuners are very indifferent
players, and they rarely play at all beyond mnk-
Ing few runs for the testing Of Instruments thew
have tuned or arc about to tune Most tuners
have simply one rapid, comprehensive niece tall
ing in the entire keyboard for this purpo.e and
II had dollar for each time Two played my Oct
piece Of this sort I'd announce my retirement
tomorrow morning 1 am a most indifferent
piano player q don't suppose have PLAYED ten
different pieces in as many years). and vet n fol.e
note struck from a piano tears me 70 the contra
Like any other piano tuner who understands his
business, and whose ear has been made Abnormal.
ly acute by practice and training. I can detect a
falseness OF tenth Of a tone in piano note evan
as pass a house in which 1t is being played and
never have such an experience that don't feel
like going into tho house to set the thing right
Most piano tuners have to run away from tho
street pianos and barrel organs, their falsen,ss
and discord arc generally no nerye.rackine.
Quite number OF the piano tuners of Now York
now work on their own hook, but the majority Of
them are attached TO the piano establishments
and get good salaries It costs from 81. 80 to
$40 to have a piano tuned the AVERAGE h.,ro
ABOUT % Tor good bit OF careful painstaking
"ork. FOR iaborious and exhausting task Of
'u'" ON se'Hns an instrument into shape |
~. s'ea. performer 'uhers get good slzed fees
oh one OF inc occasions when Paderewski visited |
new YORK tuned the instrument upon which he |
pc efiofnou' look me Just six hours and did |
inc WORK under the constant supervision OF Pader-
o"shi himself he was pretty fussy over the Job |
o' n,''' ou' a'ef hai'ihS me several times. he |
h"hS ooneiuuea' suppose, that had my bust |
tie'' uo"h pfo''S pa' ana lei me 60 ahead. The |
oheck ne gave ME when got through was OF pretty
proportions
NUMBER OF years ago, when Hans Won Bulow |
Visi'ea new YORK. l tuned the instrument upon |
WHICH no played lie wouldn't allow the instru- |
men' 70 Dc tuned IN the warehouse one of his |
INNS Deing 'ha' even snort removal OF piano |
KNOCKS all out oil tune So tuned 1t on the |
II.