The piano soul
Last week, I decided to find out how my great-grandfather used to repair and tune the instrument from which I’ve heard many masterpieces. The pianos are not common, and even less seeing its maintenance happening, no only in Brazil but also in other countries around the world. So I asked my father to do so.
My father showed me the great-grandfather’s tool box, made for last, literally. In the sequence, my father taught me the basics about piano tuning. I felt glad and curious about the tobacco box where are the rubber separators. Curiously, it is still possible feel the tobacco’s smell.
We take and we tuned the thicker strings first, easier for reaching the desired tone and learning. Then we tested sequences and farms, supporting the timber to close the lid, and separating the strings with the rubbers. I used the finger for swiftness, and despite the success in pitch, I heard an earful. The rubber ensures that no grease or other impurities will pass the instrument. Still, convenient and fast. It was pleasant like watching a new computer program set to work.
I also learned about the main problems that might occur in the instrument, such as termites, ‘broken’ pedals or wood rot, all soluble. However, there is typically a wood behind the metal support of the strings, known as the soul of the piano. If it is damaged, broken or taken off, then you will have lost the piano. This wood is the soul piano and gives the sound and characteristics of it. Without one, it dies.
Lesson learned, we closed back the tuned Washburn serial number 9117 piano and it might now play music in all of its octaves, and my rusty and clumsy 3rd movement (the almost heavy metal one) of the Beethoven‘s Moonlight Sonata, that sounded more like the first movement … lol. Although Haroldo Ribeiro de Souza, my younger brother, is the musician of our family and was not there to show how to really test the piano, I enjoied the experience and I might dispute this tool box on patches if he does not already have one for him.
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