in tune

I had the piano tuned today for the first time in...a very long time. 

I warned the gentleman before he began. Really, I did. And I don't think he believed me. After the first little bit, he told me the middle register "really wasn't that bad."

Just wait, I thought. Just wait.

And then, once he moved to the upper register, he believed me. This is just a sampling of what he said:

"It was pretty sour, wasn't it?"

"I'm going fast on this part because I've given up tuning for the moment. It's kind of like a drive - I'm just trying to get it on the green. We'll put later."

"I'll leave the cover off so you can vacuum it out after I leave."

(I did.)

Yup. That's what happens when your moves (plural) take you to extremely varying degrees of humidity without tuning in between. 

But now? Now it is lovely. I'm listening to Ryan play right now and it is most definitely lovely. 

I also had a great conversation with the tuner while he worked his magic. I learned all sorts of things about this little piano. Ryan's parents purchased it when he was about six - that I knew. But I learned it was one of the first pianos made in Thomaston, GA. Yamaha bought the Everett Piano Company there and began building pianos. Before that, the only place Yamahas were made in the U.S. was in South Haven, Michigan. All others were made in Japan, Indonesia, China and Taiwan. But our little piano has some southern charm.

I learned some fun tips about tuning and muting and humidity and expansion of the boards and more. I learned how to tighten my pedal and change the felt for muting if I need to. I learned how to take all the covers off with ease and marvel at the beauty that is a piano.

And marvel I did for a few hours after he left. 

Just after he finished, let left me with an effortlessly beautiful arrangement of "You Were Always On My Mind."

I think I'll tune this baby more often. It was definitely educationally, visually and audibly rewarding.