You Can't Tune a Fish, But You Can Tune a Piano!

We had our piano tuned today. Tracie is very pleased. For the record, a piano should be tuned more than once every six years. The best part is now the keys match each other, which is one of the most important parts of a tuned piano, because each key could be out of tune in different directions. It also seems that each note has more than one string, so not only can the key not match the other keys, it's possible to not even match itself.

I also got a very interesting piece of info from the tuner, our piano was made in 1919. The tuner has a "Piano Atlas" which is a book that has lists of serial numbers from about every manufacturer and the date they were made.

We have a very nice piano, it's too bad that the people who owned it before Tracie's parents treated it so poorly. Knowing that it was made in 1919 makes me think of the movie, "The Red Violin". I can't help but wonder where our piano has been before. I'm sure that it has only had a handful of owners, but it is close to 85 years old.

The Tuner was an older gentleman, from Germany. One of a dying breed I might add. He came in his trenchcoat and suit! He dressed up in a suit to tune pianos. How's that for being a flash of year's gone by. He commented on what a nice piano we have. In fact, he also owns a Doherty. He said it has a wonderful singing tone. Apparently they don't make pianos with the same tonal qualities any more. But I'm getting away from what I wanted to talk about, which is where this piano has been.

The Tuner, made a comment that the piano was in very good shape on the inside. It has obviously not been played very much (in over 80 years.) He said that it would probably outlast him. Now he's an oldster, but it got me to thinking more about where this piano had been, and where it would be going in the future. Presumably, Tracie and I will have it for at least the next 20 years, but it wouldn't be unreasonable to think that we will have it for the next 40 years. Who will we give it to? What will happen to it? Wouldn't it be nice to hear all the songs it has played in four score and 5 years?

-Gary Milner