And this is Langridge family member turns out to be musical: film at 11, written Nov 02, 2006, and concerning Musings, Updates

Niamh has started piano lessons at school! And she seems to be able to do it! This is remarkable. I have the musical ability of a rubber hammer, and Sam is (if this were possible) even worse than me. My parents are utterly unmusical. Sam's parents are. (Sam's brother was in a metal band, but (a) he was a drummer, which requires no real musical ability and (b) they were a metal band, which doesn't require musical ability either.) Now I need to get the piano tuned, since it's supposed to sound like a mellifluous and beautiful instrument and it actually sounds like someone's dropped a load of cymbals when you play it. Niamh is having to practice only on the bottom couple of octaves, which seem to be less out of tune than the rest. Anyone got any good recommendations for piano tuners in the Midlands who won't charge me a fortune? Bonus points if they fulfil the cliche by being blind.

Comments

David Goodwin

I think a certain Mr O'Bacon might disagree with musical ability not being required to play in a metal band.... :-)

Why do you have a piano then, if no one plays it? It's kind of a bit big to keep lying around, surely?

sil

David: he can disagree all he likes, but in his heart of hearts he knows it to be true. Yes indeed. Yes.

On the "why have a piano" front, you're welcome to make that argument to my darling wife, but I didn't have a lot of success when *I* made it so I don't see why you'd do better...

ZsP

give a try to http://www.yelp.com/

I'm sure there are other similar services too

sil

ZsP: I can choose someone random out of the phone book pretty easily; what I was looking for was a personal recommendation so I can know that the recommended person is competent :)

Nick Fitzsimons

A friend of mine has a grand piano in his terraced house (definitely a bit big for such a property) and, yes, he uses (or has used) a blind piano tuner! I've emailed him to ask for the chap's contact details, and will pass them along by email; he's based in Leicester, so may well be able to travel over to you.

metapundit

You could always buy a $15 digital tuner and tune it yourself. This won't get perfect results as tuning turns out to be a complex series of compromises - actually tuning each string to its appropriate note doesn't sound as good - but for the purposes of making the piano endurable for student practicing, this is feasible. I tuned my wife's piano - the strings are very old and so I tuned a quarter of a step flat so as not to tune any strings up signifigantly. You wouldn't want a concert on it, but it works to practice on and doesn't offend my ear so much. My only other experience is tuning guitars...

Gary Fleming

Oi, Langridge, you watch the drummer jokes, right? :P

sil

metapundit: you missed the rubber hammer comment, clearly :)

Gary: ahahaha. Ahaha. It's just banging on things with a stick, you know it is :)

Gary Fleming

Well... yeah. But don't forget the kicking things too. :)