Piano Tech Radio Hour

Have you ever wondered if there's one thing that will make your regulation work spectacular? Today you're in luck because our co-host David Andersen talks about exactly that. According to David, the one thing you need to do is find a protocol that you can settle on, develop, and get better at. You can develop a protocol for setting repetitions, setting a drop, setting off--a protocol for every sin...

How often have you let your intuition take the upper hand while tuning? In this episode, David Andersen sheds light on a rarely spoken-about aspect of piano tuning. He says, "We all think way too much. [As a piano tech] we've tuned piano thousands of times and our bodies remember that." And according to David, it's so important that we don't get stuck on our fears of making mistakes--our fear of f...

You must have tuned a piano for a recording at least once in your life. If not, you might wish to tune for a recording studio at some point… Our Radio Hour guest in this episode, Frank Wolf, a highly-acclaimed sound engineer, shares his opinions on what makes a piano perfect for recording right down to the intricacies of recording within different genres. The live audience from Piano Tech Radio Ho...

In this episode of our podcast, join us as we delve into the world of pedaling technique, piano hammer shaping, and voicing with classical pianist, Frederic Chiu. With a wealth of experience and musical achievements under his belt, Frederic is joined by the veteran piano technician and piano industry expert, Eric Johnson. In addition to a fascinating discussion of advanced pedal techniques, they t...

Today’s session features Del Fandrich, an icon in piano design and a leading industry expert. He talks about his transition from working in the field and tuning pianos to getting into piano design.  Del tells us about how to identify a gap in the industry and bridge it effectively. He also walks us through some of the original designs in pianos and where they originated. Building on this, he share...

David Anderson, our co-host, turns guest today. He has been in the industry for decades, has made nearly every mistake, and has acquired so much excellent knowledge along the way. He calls this failing upwards. "Be bad first; you're never going to get better without it. It's the gateway to success" David shares how to get over gripping and paralyzing fear when trying something new. He also takes o...

We piano techs all tend to nerd out about our piano tools every once in a while, don’t we? Tune in to this Piano Tech Radio Hour episode and learn what our guest, Boaz Kirschenbaum has up his sleeve or should we say inside his fancy leather tool case? In this session you might discover some unknown or rarely made tools or encounter other fun surprises–with Boaz you can always expect a rewarding le...

Learn how guesstimating is a crucial part of piano tuning from Chris Brown. According to him, trial and error learning, guessing, and estimating are some of the strongest tools at the disposal of piano technicians. We learn it from the earliest age.  When Piano Techs learn to tune a piano they are doing trial and error learning, monitoring three-dimensionally all aspects of the tension and twist o...

Today’s episode features Bill Monroe, an expert at rebuilding grand pianos and a top technician with over 20 years of experience. In covering a range of topics, Bill starts by talking about the thought that goes into building and organizing a shop. Planning your own workshop? Tune in to learn why ductwork (custom tubing) underneath the concrete is a cheat code and a pro tip. How do you divide your...

Concert tuning can easily go wrong by under or overdoing it. The reason? You have to keep in mind that what an artist hears won’t be the same as what the concert hall audience hears. In this episode, our hosts David Andersen and Eathan Janney, along with our amazing live audience get into a deep discussion on everything from Jurgen Goering’s chopstick voicing tool to tuning the piano so that the m...

Today's guest is Eric Johnson. A man whose true calling is with pianos. He tried to leave the piano industry at one time, pursuing a degree in business and a different career. It was when he had a series of interviews with banks, insurance companies, and consulting businesses during his second year of business school that it hit him. He could not pretend that what they were saying was intriguing!...

In this week's episode, David Graham and Thomas Zoells of PianoForte in Chicago join us. David pays homage to the great Virgil Smith, a renowned piano tuner. The icon of the piano trade still inspires him to this day. Virgil constantly pursued improvement and sought a better way. David would run across people who had studied with Virgil and continued to apply techniques learned for years, only to...

In today’s session, Jurgen Goering talks about his journey of becoming a German-trained piano maker. Ever wondered how to navigate having clients from different cultures? Learn from Jurgen whose love for exploring different cultures has landed him a ring of clients in the Arctic Circle. He also shows us his souvenirs of ivory tusks from the north pole! Do you as a technician wonder which tools are...

In this session, Tim Barnes, a serial entrepreneur currently running two successful, well-loved piano companies, discusses his journey. Tune in and listen to Tim talk about how he went from owning a lawn care business to becoming a piano industry business leader. Tim has become a seasoned piano tuner, built a team of skilled piano technicians, and a platform we all use for scheduling--Gazelle. Tim...

In today's episode, we host Glenn, a trained music educator, and award-winning musical theater composer, lyricist, and librettist. He shares his experience running Hollywood Piano, an iconic dealership with deep roots in film and TV history. He has a unique perspective in the troubled and uncertain times of covid. Has your business suffered through covid? Tune in to hear from Glenn, who has catere...

In this information-packed session, Sally Phillips, a globally sought-after Steinway and concert prep expert, shares some of her most powerful secrets. She takes apart and puts back together the process of creating that “Perfect” piano sound. After all, she doesn’t take her brand name “Piano Perfect” lightly. Learn special techniques in voicing, regulation, and more. The takeaway from this info-pa...

Our guest for this episode, Steve Brady, finds that the CA glue used in many technical situations is a little invasive for our bodies. Have you noticed that about the glue too? Steve has grown sensitive to CA glue (a.k.a. Crazy Glue or Super Glue) and only uses it when it's absolutely essential, like for repairing hairline defects. And even then, he uses a respirator to avoid the fumes getting int...

So much in life is subjective. And you’d think with a “machine” like the piano, the way it should sound is set in stone. However, when analyzing a single piano’s sound, one piano technician might say they’d like it softer, while another might not see anything wrong with the sound or style–they are thoroughly enjoying it. Does that mean one of them is wrong? Not really; the right tone is entirely s...

The first price you tell to your new customers sets the tone and sets expectations for future pricing, as well as the quality of your work. Our guest in this episode, Carl Lieberman, shares some excellent pricing rules that set you up to perform as a quality, high-end technician. Let’s talk hypothetical numbers. In your market, you may have to decide which category you want to be in: a) $100-$150...

A competent pianist should understand the Tuning, Touch, and Tone circle. Knowing these basics can help them be intentional about the sounds they want to create. Our guest Danny Holt, a multiple award winner and a global pianist, shares his experience as a pianist of learning about how pianos work. Understanding the basics of piano technology has helped him get his pianos tuned and cared for in th...

In this session, David Andersen talks about the power of having people that inspire you to be unafraid, put in the hard work, and be resilient to failures. You want your mentors and the technicians you hang out with to embody the right attitude that inspires you. David further discusses how our fear of “being bad at” something prevents us from taking action toward our goals. Listen as David goes o...

Tune into this episode and hear Owen Lovell talk about his passion for the piano, the state of the piano industry, and his journey into becoming a writer and academic! If you play your cards right, a role as a university music professor can provide you with all sorts of wonderful opportunities. This episode’s guest, Owen Lovell. Owen is the piano review editor for Larry Fine’s Acoustic and Digital...

If you are someone who likes a power-packed lecture? This podcast episode with Dale Erwin and Arlan Harris is just for you. They talk about everything from using B72, using it on low compression, high-density hammer, how B72 and acetone is the best hardening solution, diagnosing the hammers, and what might be needed to do to change the tone of the hammer. Using different methods to brighten your h...

Many of us feel pressure while we work, actively concentrating on what we are doing. It's not bad, but over time it can lead to frustration and puts a fence around our work. Our co-host David Andersen shares his philosophy on piano tuning–just relax and pay attention to your work. Because 8/10 times, your body knows exactly what to do and you can just watch it perform. We just have to let our year...

"We'll see a snap back in this industry." In this episode, Rich Galassini joins us at Piano Tech Radio Hour while we are stuck amidst a pandemic. We are still figuring out how to bring our piano tuning businesses back. Most of us even think our careers are over, and we might never get back up again. However, Rich has different opinions. And he’s tracking different indicators. The visits to his com...