What can I do to make life easier for my piano technician?
Okay, no one has really asked this question, but there are a few simple things you can do to make the job of servicing your piano easier and more efficient for both you and your piano technician.
1. Clear off the top of your piano before the technician arrives. This has to be done in order to open up the piano cabinet for service.
2. Provide a "quiet time" in your house so the tuner can do his or her very best work for you. Television, music playing, vacuum cleaning, or other noise can be distracting to the piano tuner, so please try to minimize the volume by turning things off or possibly closing some interior doors.
3. Provide adequate lighting. Most piano technicians carry a flashlight for close inspection of specific problems, but good general lighting will help the entire job go more quickly. Very often the piano lamp that you may keep on the top of your piano cannot be used, because once the piano is open, there is almost nowhere to set it. Consider bringing a floor lamp close to the piano if there is no other available light source.
4. Keep a list of any mechanical or acoustic problems or questions that you may have. It's very helpful when the piano owner can say...."E flat below middle C seems to not be repeating very well" instead of "One of the keys was sticking last month, I'm sure you'll find it." The technician may or may not find it, but do you really want to pay for the time they may have spend hunting for it?
5. Plan ahead. Most of your piano tuner's schedule is probably booked up for at least a month or so. If you know that you'll be wanting your piano in its best tune for a specific recital or gathering (like a wedding), call the piano tuner as soon as you know the date, they are prepared to schedule your service call a long time in advance.
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