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Classes • Descriptions
Friday • Session 1 • Sussex
Its all about the 5th! We will demonstrate and make a case for using the interval of the 5th as the primary check across the piano. This will result in a very fine tuning. The musical theory behind thie ear-opening choice will be illustrated and examples will be heard.
Jason Cassel, RPT, M.A. - Brigham Young University - Salt Lake City, UT
Emily Townsend, RPT - North Bennet Street School - Boston, MA
Sunday • Sessions 9 and 10 • Brandywine
In this aural tuning class, a sequence of tuning the temperament is presented which leads to a relatively foolproof way of finding out what kinds of thirds, fourths and octaves are needed to fit a given piano. As a result, the temperament tunes the same way on any piano, regardless of size or scale. This temperament sequence will be equally useful for beginners, those who normally tune with an electronic aid, and experienced aural tuners.
Saturday • Session 8 • Sussex
Offering techniques and strategies to be applied before, during, and after the tuning to ensure the best stability possible.
Saturday • Session 6 • Sussex
Presenting an overview of settling down and building the tone of new (and newly strung) pianos. Specifics on causes of instability, pitch raising and its effect on stability and the tone of the instrument are discussed. “String Voicing,” hammer seating, and fine voicing methods are demonstrated in detail.
Friday • Session 4 • Sussex
The piano will dictate valuable beat speeds in your temperament if you know how to coax it out. Come find out how the piano discloses its secrets, and learn how to quickly set aural guideposts in the midrange appropriate for each individual piano.
Tuning Master Class
All-Day Thursday - Registration Required
Jason Cassel, RPT, M.A. - Brigham Young University - Salt Lake City, UT
Thursday • Sessions A thru D • Brandywine
Rick Baldassin’s book On Pitch has been
described as “essential,” “groundbreaking,” “a
modern classic in the field of piano technology” that “belongs in
the library of every serious piano technician.” It has been called “the
best, most concise, and most thorough explanation of the relationships of intervals
and partial interactions in our field.” Now, its accompanying DVDs have
been acclaimed as “an unprecedented tool to propel the next generation
of fine tuners.”
Join us in this new all-day course that will cover it all, from how to tune
octaves, to when to stretch those octaves, how much to stretch them, and what
makes that stretch necessary. This class will present a combination of academic
theory and practical application with new and exciting insights from the On
Pitch DVDs, featuring live demonstrations together with video supplements that
include audio filters to guarantee that you hear the beats!
Whether you tune by ear, with an electronic aid, or a combination of the two,
this class will expand your knowledge of aural and electronic tuning and enrich
your understanding of your craft. Class participants will also be the first
to receive the soon-to-be-released On Pitch Companionship DVD Volume V: The
Baldassin-Sanderson Temperament free with their registration for the course.
Friday • Session 2 • Annapolis
We’ll step toward mastering the art of using your body effectively while tuning pianos. The class will focus on the impact hammer, body mechanics, and how to do common things we do in our work that cause us damage differently. There will be presentation and hands on instruction.
Saturday • Session 7 • Sussex
"Techniques" - how we sit, stand,
manipulate our hammer, use various types of mutes, strike and caress the key
- are as important a part of our Tool Kit as are the tuning hammers and mutes
themselves. Beginners will learn to use Smart Techniques to be efficient and
effective from the start, alleviating stress in their hands and back, hips and
legs, while making their tunings more stable. Advanced tuners will say "I
wish I had known that 20 (or 30 or 40) years ago."
It's important to know all the tools of our profession, how to use them
properly, and how to sit, stand and 'stretch' (as needed) to provide
the most solid tunings, and care for our body. Randi will discuss and demonstrate
strip, rubber stick, rubber wedge, felt wedge, Papp & leather mutes, straight
and ball tuning hammers, tuning gloves and supports, the effective difference
between light and soft tuning and test blows, and various types of movements
with your tuning hammer. Time for questions, too.
Nate Reyburn, RPT - Reyburn CyberTuner - Western Michigan
Saturday • Session 5 • Dover West
CyberTuner can be optimized to repeat your tuning style, pitch raise style, and adapt to how you tune pianos. We will be covering iRCT's Smart Pure 12ths tuning style, and how to both tune and pitch raise quickly and accurately in a single pass. Plus we’ll cover iRCT’s new Custom Equalizer which lets you adjust the tuning to match your ears..
Friday • Session 3 • Sussex
Have you ever rebuilt an action and the piano felt harder to play afterwards? Have you watched clients struggle with their instrument instead of enjoying it? If you are looking for clear cut solutions to these very common problems, this class is for you. Equip yourself with the techniques that can provide your clients with a piano that empowers their musicality.
Service and Regulation
All-Day Thursday - Registration Required
Louis del Bene, RPT - North Bennet Street School - Boston, MA
Thursday • Sessions A thru D • Sussex
It’s not checking! Analyze unsuccessful action & backcheck geometry, install new backchecks and never recover another old one. Hands-on class project includes existing back check removal, doublet preparation, and installation of new backchecks. Wire location, backcheck heights and installation techniques are covered. See first hand how important good checking applies to the overall performance of the action. Hands-on will accommodate the first 20 participants. All others are welcome to observe.
Saturday • Session 7 • Wilmington
“I’ll take sticking keys for 300!”
A companion class to “Fantastic Squeaks and Where to Find Them,”
this Jeopardy-style course presents videos of common infield problems and repairs.
Covering everything from sticking keys to ringing dampers and beyond. Participants
will be given a chance to score points by guessing the source of the problem
correctly. Once identified, the solution to each problem will be discussed.
Saturday • Session 6 • Wilmington
“I’ll take pedal squeaks for 200!”
Based upon the PTJ series of the same name, this Jeopardy-style class features
videos of clicks, buzzes, squeaks and more. Participants will be given the chance
to earn points by guessing the source of the sound correctly. When the source
has been identified, the solution will be discussed. This class is full of multimedia
and covers the majority of non-musical sounds you will encounter in the field.
If that’s not enough for you, be sure to check out the companion class “Fantastic
Problems and How to Solve Them”
Charles Rempel - Dampp-Chaser Corp.
Friday • Session 2 • Dover East
An overview of how relative humidity affects the moisture content of wood in general and pianos more specifically. We will examine this all the way from the tree to the finished product. Hopefully, you will leave with a better understanding of why your customers' pianos behave the way they do and be more equipped to find a solution.
Saturday • Session 7 • Dover West
Designed to help technicians look at the whole piano system. If you know what to look for, you'll be seen as a professional. The tips in this class will help you quickly diagnose problems and fix them. Topics include tuning instability, bedding actions, ironing key bushings, fixing damper rod problems and addressing pedal issues. A detailed handout is included. Questions are always encouraged!
Own It!: Friday • Session 1 • Brandywine
Prep It!: Friday • Session 2 • Brandywine
Service It!: Saturday • Session 5 • Brandywine
Rate It!: Saturday • Session 6 • Brandywine
It’s Your Success is a cumulation of experience in Greg’s more than 54 years in the profession. Greg has worked with hundreds of artists, including many of the top names in music, from pop to classical genres. His insight and experience in the concert piano business gives listeners a new prospective in the world of pianos. Greg’s straight forward approach to sharing his piano knowledge and personal concert stories leaves his audience with a wealth of piano information. In addition to his work with music organizations and artists, Greg teaches piano technicians their trade and has written a book titled “The Pianist-Technician Relationship, A Master Class for Success” which is not only a technical guide but also a compilation of his experiences with the realities of working in the concert piano business. This book and signing will be available for purchse in the exhibit hall.
Charles Rempel - Dampp-Chaser Corp.
Vertical: Saturday • Session 6 • Dover East
Grand: Saturday • Session 7 • Dover East
It is easy to talk about installing Piano Life Saver Systems and give pointers on how to overcome any obstacle, but isn't it better to actually see it? We will be demostrating LIVE how to install both a grand and vertical system, so you can see first hand how easy it is. Proper installation and maintenance of the Piano Life Saver System is the key to its effectiveness. There will be tips, tricks, and methods shared that only manufacturer's experience can give. Including a detailed disccusion and demonstration of new components found in Piano Life Saver Systems. Kelly Hollifield, General Manager, and Charles Rempel, Sales Manager, with decades of experience on thousands of system installs and support, bringing a host of knowledge to the table.
Polyester Finish Repair
All-Day Thursday - Registration Required
Thursday • Sessions A thru D • Annapolis
Having the skills to cope with scratches, dings and gouges in piano cases greatly enhances your value to your customers and dealers. Add to your income in surprisingly simple ways. Many nicks and scratches are easy to repair with minimal material investment. All are learnable and not difficult with practice. This seminar concentrates on the repair and polishing of high gloss polyester finishes.
Saturday • Session 7 • Brandywine
Optimum service on Steinway & Sons piano relies in part on knowing the current changes with the pianos and understanding the principles of service that provide the most beneficial results. Discover what you should know for servicing Steinways today and be well prepared for your next new Steinway customer
Sunday • Session 9 • Dover East/West
Take your daily work to a new level with this full-service approach, by “servicing” instead of “tuning” the pianos in your clientele. Increase your income and customer satisfaction while making your job more interesting and rewarding.
Saturday • Session 8 • Wilmington
Working with customers can be tricky, adding a piano, proper customer service, and all the technical details related to the subject it can be a minefield. Learn these Tip and Tricks for dealing with and efficiently handling tuning, regulation, customer relations, and service call. There will be a time for 20 minute Q&A at the end of the session
Friday • Session 1 • Dover West
See demonstrations of the touch-up of traditional finishes. Learn how to make repairs and de-gunk the finish. Burn-ins, color matching, pigments vs. dyes and other subjects will be covered. Effort will be made to use camera technology which will allow you to clearly see repairs as they are made.
David Durben, RPT - Yamaha Corporation of America - Pomona Valley, CA
Ryan Ellison, RPT - Yamaha Corporation of America - South Bay, CA
Friday • Session 4 • Kent
Addressing several elements of action regulation related to the back-check. How this component fits into and affects the system of the piano action is often overlooked, misunderstood, or ignored. We will show a variety of illustrations and demonstrations to illustrate the importance of the back check.
Friday • Session 2 • Sussex
Don will unravel the mysteries of servicing damper systems in Kawai grand pianos and other similarly designed pianos. He will demonstrate damper tray block replacement and service, regulating the damper lift from the key and from the pedal, Regulating the sostenuto, plus much more! Don will even include demonstration of trimming trichord wedges to reduce noise when lifting. If you’ve had difficulties working on grand dampers, don’t miss this class!
Carl Teel - Salt Lake City, UT
Friday • Session 3 • Brandywine
Grand damper systems involve more than simply seating felt. In this class, Rick and Carl will demonstrate cutting and bending damper wires, adjusting underlever spoons and capstans, and correcting problems such as twisting and traveling during damper lift. Timing with both the key and pedal will also be covered. The demonstration will be performed on the new PTG 3-note action model made by Renner.
Friday • Session 1 • Kent
This is not a basic regulating class - you already know how to regulate the studs, level a keyboard, set let-off, drop, dip, and a host of other things (about 20 per key). But we don’t all realize that the Jack is the key to everything in repetition. In both grand and vertical pianos. Jack tells us the thickness of back rail cloth and height at the balance rail, where to set key height and key dip, how strong to set the repetition lever springs in grands . In both grand and vertical pianos And Jack height, relationship to the knuckle core, and spring tension in grands are the keys to guarantee a consistent hammer line.
Using the Grandwork System
Bruce Clark - Wessell, Nickel & Gross - Boston, MA
Friday • Sessions 3 and 4 • Wilmington
Learn the ins and outs of Mason & Hamlin grand piano and their action regulation. We will prepare you for a solid regulation foundation and how to achieve the highlest level of performance with Mason & Hamlin products. Through the ingenuity of the Grandwork Tools Regulation Station see how easy it is to go from setup to concert regulation.
Friday • Sessions 1 and 2 • Wilmington
Saturday • Sessions 5 and 6 • Exhibit Hall
No Rework Grand Regulating is a 4 session class
broken up between 2 classroom session and 2 in booth sessions during regular
periods.
Friday, Session 1, Wilmington
Spring out. Bed cheekblocks. Check back and front rail bedding. Bed balancerail
with WNG Bedding Tool WITHOUT pedals. Keysteps memorize the keyframe. Weighted
kissing samples memorize strike. And the action is ready for the bench. Please,
may I tempt you to try this?
Friday, Session 2, Wilmington
Fix keyframe positioning at back and sides and shim back and front rails to
be stable. Glidebolts recreate in-piano bedding to Keystep samples. Regulating
Rack templates offer in-piano strike from the weighted kissing samples. And
you will not have to change the benchwork you do in the piano.
Saturday, Session 5, Exhibit Hall Booth
Then fully regulate 2-3 samples to choose specs and prep strategy. Travel hammers
to vertical. Square hammers to vertical at strike. And space hammers to the
hammer spacing scale drawn on the templates at setup. Later, in the piano, you
will level and mate strings to hammers in one operation.
Saturday, Session 6, Exhibit Hall Booth
Now, regulate the action from key level through aftertouch and return action
to piano. Re-bed balancerail WITH pedals and tweak hammer spacing. Fit strings
to the vertical hammers (soft pedal voiced). Regulate dampers and pedals, tune
and voice. That’s it – no rework!
Sunday • Session 10 • Dover East/West
So you’ve learned to regulate an action model. Now how do you translate that into regulating a real grand action under real-world conditions? This class provides a framework for the overall job, plus the best techniques for doing each individual step in the process.
Mike Carraher, RPT - Performance Pianos - South Central Pennsylvania
Friday • Sessions 2 and 3 • Kent
This comprehensive class explains action regulation in a way that can be understood. We cover general theory and mechanical relationships, and diagnostic skills to achieve optimal regulation with uniform after touch. The damper system – diagnostics and regulation. Unique tools and procedures are demonstrated for regulation and other adjustment points. Related topics covered as time permits.
Sunday • Sessions 9 and 10 • Sussex
Topics covered will be prioritizing your work, planning to spend time on the areas that will have the most impact on the piano, giving the most “bang for your buck” in action performance and piano tone. Don will provide an overview of how to accomplish this with some demonstrations, covering string seating, hammer shaping, minor action reconditioning points that can be done quickly, regulation, tuning, and voicing, He will also show some useful tips that can help any piano perform and sound better. This class will challenge you to raise the level of service you provide, and provide a lot of useful tips for making heavily used newer pianos perform at their best.
Friday • Session 1 • Dover East
Saturday • Session 8 • Dover East
In this course you will learn how to assess an existing regulation and improve it. It is recommended that you have a basic understanding already. Learn what adjustments effect others, and which adjustments are the most important. Most importantly, we will not just talk about it, we will demonstrate.
The Secret to Power and Performance
Sunday • Session 9 • Wilmington
You want the best result from your regulation. It all starts somewhere and requires an educated, logical, efficient approach to parts alignment. Learn how an appreciation of the mechanics involved in traveling, casting and spacing can give you the desired results as you turn the screws on eighty-eight subjects.
Not Just the Prep
Saturday • Session 8 • Brandywine
Are you frustrated by voicing classes that spend
most of the time on prep and just minutes on actual voicing? Focused on the
maintenance voicing of high-use pianos, this class dives right into the needling
techniques to combat the tonal harshness and aggression in moderately to heavily
worn hammers. Equally applicable to high- and low-density hammers, the class
demonstrates a simple technique for making pp mellower without compromising
the power and projection in ff. It shows how to spare the hammers from overneedling;
how to test the voicing musically by playing simple tension-release sequences;
how to gauge tonal balance between sections; and how to work to a time constraint
instead of a goal. You will learn how to increase sustain and bloom, how to
voice out clanks and capo sizzles, and how to tame boomy notes without affecting
their brightness.
Increasing the power and projection, and voicing a new set of hammers will be
covered as time permits.
This is not a hands-on class but you will experience an actual voicing. Previous
exposure to hammer prep, reshaping the hammers, and some voicing experience
are recommended though not necessary.
Voicing Master Class
All-Day Thursday - Registration Required
Arlan Harris, RPT - Arlan Harris Productions - New York City
Thursday • Sessions A thru D • Wilmington
The art of tone regulation is both technical and artistic. Bring a piano to its prime through tried and true methods of voicing. Expanding beyond the general methodology of all voicing we are going to dive deep into the prep work involved, the different type of hammers and techniques to voicing them and the final touches. All of this leads to a powerful even tone throughout the piano with nice clean hammers.
Saturday • Session 5 • Kent
Many technicians overlook the two most important steps in achieving consistent voicing: Leveling strings and fitting hammers to strings. A voicing job is easier and ultimately more successful if these two steps are done well, but we often skip them out of a lack of familiarity or a desire to avoid their tedium. I will demonstrate several different tools for each procedure, which will hopefully provide everyone with an option that will become comfortable and easy. Of special note is a hammer fitting tool I have only recently acquired and have seldom seen used, which enables the technician to fit hammers without sliding the action in and out of the piano. This dramatically increases accuracy and dramatically decreases tedium!
Saturday • Session 4 • Brandywine
Have you ever wondered what happens to when you insert a voicing needle into a hammer? What is happening to the sound on an acoustical level? In this class, practical voicing application meets acoustical principles. Before and after recordings will be played to allow for immediate feedback of what needling or lacquering in different regions of the hammer affects aurally. At the same time, the volume of each partial will be displayed graphically, making it easy to see which partials are affected by different voicing techniques. Bring your listening ears!
The Secret to Power and Performance
Sunday • Session 10 • Wilmington
You want the best result from your voicing. It all starts somewhere and requires an educated, logical, efficient approach.
Saturday • Session 5 • Wilmington
Rare is the project with an unlimited budget for the purchase of all new parts and new keyboards. More often, there is a limited budget requiring both the rearrangement of existing levers and mass along with parts renovation. Whether the budget is unlimited or not, spend a day in your shop to mockup a project for optimum performance. Participants will analyze actions, prioritize within budget, and formulate a plan for success.
Carl Teel - Salt Lake City, UT
Saturday • Session 6 • Kent
Rebuilding a piano action and making it work
properly doesn’t have to be hard. This class will give you the knowledge
and confidence to do the job right. By quickly identifying the most significant
variables, you’ll spend your time and energy on what matters most.
Rick and Carl will focus on many operations necessary to make the action function
properly. Most are not part of regulation. Action geometry will be covered in
a straightforward manner. You will understand the importance of proper part
selection and the contribution of each part to the system. Effects of friction
on action weight and performance, and the trade-off between action weight and
inertia will be covered.
Saturday • Session 5 • Sussex
Learn how to give new life to the pedals and traps of any grand piano. Get to know what to look for and expect. Your client will be grateful as the pedals go from being a distraction to being a palette for their use.
Saturday • Session 6 • Dover West
Christian shows how to replace a full-fitted grand pinblock from A to Z. How to take necessary references before removing the plate, the use of the Plate-Puller, removing the pinblock using the Bolduc’s pinblock extractor. Fit the new block to the plate, drilling it, glue and dowel in the case. Many tips and tricks to simplify the work. DVD of the class available.
Skills You Need For Success
Gabriel E. Granitz, RPT - Piano Works - Atlanta, GA
Friday • Session 2 • Dover West
We have all dealt with keys that have had several
replacement sets of key covers installed, bushed multiple times, bottom holes
repaired, have wide gaps between keys, sharps that need replacement, look like
Swiss cheese from all the reweighs, etc. We often make heroic efforts to make
repairs with mixed success. By the time you’ve made all the necessary
repairs, you’ve already covered a significant portion of the cost of new
keys. Often, the original keys are the weakest link in an otherwise quality
rebuild. The keyboard is the pianists primary connection to any piano and improvements
here dramatically effect their performance.
This class will be your guide to replacing old keyboards with new keys cut and
fit to the original keyframe. We will discuss the skills necessary to fit the
original keyframe back into the piano and optimize the pianos performance. In
addition we will explore the differences between fitting new blank keyframes
and the original keyframe with new keys. We will also discuss correct action
geometry and the ability to correct geometry with new custom keys. Being both
an end user and manufacture of new keyboards, the Roseland Piano Co. / PianoWorks
team will provide highly useful tips to make the job more efficient for rebuilders.
If you’re already successfully rebuilding actions with new parts, adding
key replacement should be within your skill level.
Nate Reyburn, RPT - Reyburn Pianoworks - Western Michigan
Saturday • Session 7 • Annapolis
We'll demonstrate practical and objective ways to make sure your action rebuild will be successful by checking the condition of the keyboard and measuring key and action ratio. Ramifications of installing a new keyboard and/or action stack. A virtual tour through Reyburn Pianoworks keyboard manufacturing shop which uses the latest CAD and CNC robotics.
Ray Negron - Ronsen Piano Hammer Co. - Hudson-Adirondack, NY
Friday • Session 3 • Dover West
Ray Negron and Starr Taylor will take you through a tour of the Ronsen Piano Hammer Company. You will see the various processes used in manufacturing piano hammers, discuss the merits of the different felts and woods available, including our newest felt offering, Weickert Special by Wurzen, and be shown how to take measurements from your old hammers in order to facilitate ordering new ones. Starr will present voicing tips and other procedures to help you get the best sound possible from the different hammers we offer. New videos included. Questions are welcomed and encouraged.
Friday • Session 4 • Annapolis
Upright hammer replacement is often needed, but installing the hammers is neither difficult nor easy and it is seldom taught. Using simple jigs, let's discuss the common issues and solutions found when performing this job.
Friday • Session 3 • Annapolis
Defining practical strategies to make savvy business decisions will help you realize your goals. Focusing on technical skills, we often lose sight of the costs of doing business. Join in a group discussion as we define what your time is really worth and build a road map to a successful business plan.
Saturday • Session 5 • Dover East
We all seem to draw a line when we feel the work has been completed and at a satisfactory level. Arlan shows how to “Raise the bar” and will demonstrate and explain how to bring your personal threshold to a higher level. The benefits are increased self-esteem, income, respect, and joy in striving for enabling the piano to be the best it can be. A handout is provided for all participants. Concepts, theories, business advise, and demonstrations with a Q/A session included!
Friday • Session 4 • Dover West
If you are trying to make a living as a piano technician in the 21st century, you need Gazelle: a comprehensive software that enables you to manage your business on the go. Learn how it will enable you to spend your time servicing pianos and caring for people rather than playing phone tag and doing office work.
Friday • Sessions 3 and 4 • Dover East
As a college piano technician you face many challenges specific to the academic environment: high expectations, abundant creativity, constrained resources, and inadequate climate control. In this class you will learn how to navigate those needs and how to prioritize your efforts to achieve most effective results. You will receive links to several spreadsheets for common administrative needs such as calculating a budget, managing inventory, generating tuning reminders, tracking expenses, and evaluating tunings for new hires. Read more here
Saturday • Session 6 • Annapolis
There are various options for your business structure: Sole Proprietorship, LLC,Partnership, S or C Corp, etc. We will discuss the pros and cons, including the tax benefits, of each type. Whether starting out or considering a change, this class is for you.
Saturday • Session 8 • Dover West
Attend this class to see the newly introduced QRS technology products that will excite your customers and provide new profits for YOU.
David Durben, RPT - Yamaha Corporation of America - Pomona Valley, CA
Ryan Ellison, RPT - Yamaha Corporation of America - South Bay, CA
Saturday • Session 7 • Kent
Connect with Yamaha’s Piano Service staff to explore service for Hybrid pianos. Focusing on disassembly procedures and outlining the manufacturer's recommended service advice, this seminar will benefit dealer technicians, CAUT Members, and field service technicians interested in staying up-to-date on the latest developments in Hybrid piano technology.
Saturday • Session 5 • Annapolis
A walkthrough of the requirements of the PTG technical exam and a survey of test equipment and procedures. Find out how to prepare for the exam, what tools and supplies you need to bring to the test site and what examinees are entitled to before, during and after the test. Learn how to best utilize your time, improve efficiency, cope with exam anxiety and other skills and strategies you need to successfully tackle the exam. For PTG Associate members only.
Saturday • Session 8 • Annapolis
We will introduce you to all the study aids and material that PTG has published to prep you for the written exam. Explaining the procedures for starting the “Walk to RPT” and outline the content of the test in an effort to put you at ease before you make the commitment. The written exam will be given on Sunday morning.
Friday • Session 1 • Annapolis
Gain an insight of what you are expected to know, how the exams will be administered and scored, what exam preparation materials are available and where they can be found. Know what you will need to do to be prepared to take the exam.