Tuning Classes

NOTE: Click on an instructor's name to see a bio.

Tuning Without Numbers

Zhi Wei Huang, RPT

Zhi Wei Huang, RPT

HuangZhi Wei (pronounced "Zeeway") Huang was born in China in 1954. Both his parents were engineers, and he and his brothers grew up actually living in the factory where his parents were employed. From a very young age he learned how to finely craft things of metal and wood with machinery and hand tools. He is an accomplished violinist, but conceived a passion to be a piano tuner. He emigrated to the United States in 1981 and started learning piano tuning and repair in 1984 in San Francisco. He's been a PTG San Francisco chapter member since 1992. Mr. Huang has taken advanced technical training at the Steinway factory in New York, at Yamaha's Little Red Schoolhouse and at the Baldwin factory in Trumann, AR. For some years he served as a consultant for Baldwin Piano Company in China and would travel several times a year to their Dongbei and Zhongshan factories to advise on quality control and train factory workers. He is currently the chief technician for the San Francisco Unified School District, where he has the responsibility for maintaining and rebuilding 550 pianos. He does high level concert tuning & technical work and has served as technician for touring concert pianist Vladimir Viardo. Zhiwei is a creative thinker and has devised methods of tuning and voicing that don't always follow accepted norms, but achieve remarkable results. He has taught these in classes for PTG chapters in San Francisco, Sacramento and Santa Clara, as well as many groups of piano technicians in China. He is generous with his time and knowledge, and is always eager to share with and learn from other technicians.

In most tuning classes you'll hear lots of numbers, like how to tune 8:4 octaves, or where to listen for the 6th partial. This can be confusing and intimidating, and not only for beginners. In this class you'll only hear colorful, non-technical language and see vivid hand gestures used to describe and show what to listen for when tuning. You'll learn how to listen for tone color, to hear many high partials from a single string, and customize your tunings to the piano, the customer, or the composer!

Introduction to the Smarter and Wiser Reyburn CyberTuner

Nate Reyburn, RPT and Carl Lieberman, RPT

Nate Reyburn, RPT - Reyburn CyberTuner

Nate ReyburnNate trained in piano technology both with Dean (his dad) and is a graduate of the prestigious North Bennet Street School two year Piano Technology course in Boston Massachusetts, and passed his RPT exams in 2008. Nate's passions are not only for piano tech but for making tools for the trade, including the Reyburn CyberHammer, the industry's finest impact tuning hammer. Nate and his wife Bethann live in Cedar Springs Michigan where he tunes, repairs and rebuilds pianos. He now teaches basic CyberTuner and impact hammer use. Nate and Bethann enjoy paintball, hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor sports. www.reyburn.com

Carl Lieberman, RPT

Carl has been a piano technician in Los Angeles since 1972, passed his RPT exams in 1979 and has 38 years tuning experience. He studied aural tuning with David Safir and learned repair, regulation and voicing skills in David's shop at Pianos Wholesale. Carl tuned aurally only until 1981 and has been integrating both aural and electronic tuning since taking an ear opening class from Steve Fairchild.  He studied math and computers eons ago at UC Berkeley and is a member of the Reyburn CyberTuner Development Team. He has worked for 3 local Yamaha dealers and has tuned for countless concerts and recording sessions. www.reyburn.com

We will demonstrate our new release of RCT on the latest smartphone. We will present RCTs refined capabilities for tuning in the most demanding situations along with its improved power to confront the most "scale challenged" instruments and improved finesse on the best pianos. Whether you are an experienced Cybertuner or contemplating your first ETD, this class is for you.

The Potter Temperament

Randy Potter, RPT

Randy Potter, RPT

Randy PotterRandy Potter has been tuning and servicing pianos for 34 years. He is the founder and director of the Randy Potter School of Piano Technology, which is the largest school training piano technicians in the world, with students and graduates in over 70 countries. He is a frequent instructor at local, state, regional and national PTG conventions, and has taught at seminars in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia and Cuba. www.pianotuning.com

What’s different about The Potter Temperament? First, its a Temperament 10th, encompassing the center 17 notes of the mid-range section of the piano (F33-A49). Second, it is the only temperament that can be tuned as either a slow-beating 4ths-5ths, or a fast-beating 3rds-6th, temperament – yet the notes tuned in the same order either way. Third, since it includes five inside octaves, there are only seven notes left to complete the “mid-range” of the PTG Tuning Exam. This will be the first time Randy has taught this class at either a PTG Regional Conference or the Annual Convention. He has been teaching it to students for the past 25 years, and over 80% of them use it when taking their tuning exam.

Impact Tuning Hammer Technique

Nate Reyburn, RPT

Nate Reyburn, RPT - Reyburn CyberTuner

Nate ReyburnNate trained in piano technology both with Dean (his dad) and is a graduate of the prestigious North Bennet Street School two year Piano Technology course in Boston Massachusetts, and passed his RPT exams in 2008. Nate's passions are not only for piano tech but for making tools for the trade, including the Reyburn CyberHammer, the industry's finest impact tuning hammer. Nate and his wife Bethann live in Cedar Springs Michigan where he tunes, repairs and rebuilds pianos. He now teaches basic CyberTuner and impact hammer use. Nate and Bethann enjoy paintball, hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor sports. www.reyburn.com

Impact tuning can reduce the strain on your body at the same time it allows you to tune with ease, stability and speed. This technique requires a different type tuning lever than the standard fixed tuning lever. We'll show how to hold and manipulate the impact lever, different types available. Reducing the strain on your shoulder, neck and back are crucial whether you're just starting out or have been tuning for years. Impact tuning is an easier skill to learn for new tuners, and doesn't require upper body strength, just fine control.

Verituner

Dave Carpenter, RPT

Dave Carpenter, RPT - Veritune, Inc.

Dave Carpenter, RPT is the lead designer of the Verituner electronic tuning devices and president of Veritune, Inc. Dave's background includes an engineering degree from the University of Illinois and a career in software design. After discovering the joy of piano technology, Dave joined the guild and pursued his Chicago area piano service business. Combining his skills and interests, Dave embarked on the development of a new tuning device in 1998, and since has enjoyed spending the majority of his time supporting and improving the product line. A continual student of piano acoustics, Dave is a frequent instructor at PTG conventions and seminars, and an active RPT member and past president of the PTG Chicago Chapter. www.veritune.com

See up close how to take advantage of the unique tuning features of the Verituner line of products. We will demonstrate how to perform pitch raises, fine tuning, setting standard pitch, temperament, custom stretch styles, and saving tunings. Learn the best practices for using the Verituner's exclusive inharmonicity measuring technology to give the best tuning on any piano with the fewest steps.