PRICES (the national average for a tuning is over one-hundred dollars) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Precision Tuning: $75.00 (immediate Lawton, Oklahoma area [10 miles]) 85.00 and up (depending on mileage) outside of Lawton Pitch Raise:$35.00 (May require additional tunings to stabilize pitch) Please ask if you do not know what a "pitch raise" is. Regulating: 50.00 and up- (partial to a complete regulation of the piano) Repairs: Coutesy quote (this will include key repair, broken hammers, strings or action parts) TUNING SUGGESTIONS ---------------------------------------------------------------- You should allow about two hours for the tuning and it should be at a time when it is relatively quiet in the room where the piano resides. No vacuuming, playing the TV loud, etc... Payment should be made at the time of service unless other arrangements are made. Prices and specifications subject to change without notice.
A Brief History of the Modern Keyboard The piano is actually an instrument made up of compromises due to the fact that it is not capable of playing the full "chromatic" scale as it can be played on say, a violin. The piano utilizes a tuning format called "just intonation", a system whereby we are able to command the expression of all the sounds that are requred to be heard within the compass of an octave in order that the degrees of each and every possible scale may be correctly and exactly rendered. In order to create "true diatonic" sounds required for the necessary intervals in all scales, there would have to be 66 notes to an octave! KEYBOARDS: Vitruvius, in his work on architecture (1st century A.D.) , describes an organ with balanced keys. Next we learn that Emperor Constantine sent a musical instrument having keys to King Pepin of France in 757 A.D. The great musical genius, Guido of Arezzo, applied the keyboard to stringed instruments in the first part of the 11th century. Guido's diatonic scale, eight full tones with seven intervals of which two were semitones, was used in the first claivchords, which had 20 keys. There are no reliable records in existence, as to who applied the chromatic scale first. Giuseppe Zarlino added the semitones to his instrumnets about 1548, but insturments of earlier date have the chromatic scale, as for instance the clavicymbala, some of which had 77 keys to a compass of four octaves. After the 15th century nearly all the makers of key-stringed instruments used the chromatic scale practically as we find it in the modern piano. The semitones in most of those old instrments are elevated and of a different color than the full tones. Since the develoment of the piano many experiments have been made with so-called "chromatic" keyboards, in which the semitones were on a level with the full tones. A Dr. Krause of Eisenberg constructed a keyboard in 1811, in which the semitones were not raised and all keys were of the same color. About 1789, Neuhaus, a piano maker of Vienna, constructed a concave-formed keyboard forhis pianos. He aimed to follow the inclination of the human arm to move in a semicircle. As you can see, the modern keyboard has gone through many changes, however, the basic concept of the key lay-out has been fairly consistent. This is a result of the order in which the whole tones and semi-tones are arranged, and has evolved over centuries.	Yamaha 9' grand piano -MY PLEDGE TO YOU- I will tune your piano using the newest, most advanced dedicated tuner system available!   Peterson Strobe tuners are among the best anywhere. I use this tuner FIRST to get the piano to standard pitch. (A=440)  I then go through the entire piano "by ear" for a final precise tuning; checking balance, stability, interval smoothness, style and stretch throughout the entire keyboard.  I will keep a record of your piano tunings and send reminders for your next servicing if you so desire. Your piano is an investment in your future. It can bring you and your family a lifetime of music, adding immeasurable joy and beauty to your home. Because it also is usually a large investment, it should be maintained with the utmost REGULAR care. While pianos generally fall into vertical and grand model categories, each manufacturer selects its own materials and utilizes its own unique scale and furniture designs. Every piano requires a different level of maintenance, depending upon the quality of materials used, the design and level of craftsmanship. Most manufacturers recommend servicing at least two to four times a year to keep the piano sounding good and working properly each time you sit down to play. This is especially important the first year of your piano's life. Some tuning instability should be anticipated during the first year because of the elasticity of the piano wire, combined with the piano's normal adjustment to the humidity changes in your home. A piano which has gone a long time without tuning may require extra work in pitch raising (extra cost). Because your piano contains materials such as wood and felt, it is subject to change with climatic conditions. Extreme swings from hot to cold or dry to wet cause its materials to swell and contract, affecting tone, pitch and action response of touch. You can reduce the severity of these effects by placing your piano near a wall away from windows or doors which are opened frequently. Avoid heating and air conditioning vents, fireplaces and areas which receive direct sunlight. Your piano will perform best under consistent conditions neither too wet or dry, optimally at a temperature of 68 degrees F and 42 percent relative humidity.
Why even play an instrument? by David C. Anderson The main reason for even playing an instrument is the possible uplifting effect it has on the spirit of the listener. Music is one of the most powerful communication tools that humans have to offer. Music says things that words will never be able to, or can. Science has proven that students of music score higher in testing than their peers not in music. General and cognitive skills improve dramatically in music students and these are the same faculties needed for performance in math, engineering and other pursuits of this nature. Other studies have shown that students that take music lessons (about three year's worth) and also worked computer puzzle-solving (and other mind-expanding games) did a LOT better in math than just music lessons alone. Research goes on to show that music and logic problems significantly reduced anxiety, depression and loneliness. Maybe it has something to do with HAVING something to do! Music holds the key to higher brain functioning. This is fact. Neural firing patterns have shown that music students are smarter than those who did participate in critical thinking tasks! For so many people, having music in their lives means having at least one piano or instrument of some kind in their home. And while the instruments and music are beefing up your brain, it's adding beauty to your home, joy to your entertaining and a lasting investment to your life's well-being. When you sit down to play, it's okay if none of these other benefits crosses your mind. For more than three hundred years, the simple joy of making music has been all the reward a piano player ever needed, and luckily, for most of us, that's still enough. POINT TO PONDER Remember that there are two types of applause. The first kind is because the performance was good and the second kind; because the performance is OVER!