It seems as though our world is going to awaken again soon and plants and flowers will start to bloom! Ah,  life after winter.  The more light we get, the better things seem to be. Also a great time to take care of your pianos’ needs, as when seasons change, so does the structure of the piano.

Whether you have me do your tuning and service work, or another technician, it is a great time to evaluate your piano and have it taken care of for the new season.  As the weather changes, so does the environment your piano is in (unless you live in an environmentally controlled “glass house”), your piano will be affected by the weather changes.  As humidity returns, your piano body will also reflect changes. Just today, I serviced a long time customer and found that in the winter time, the piano I had to “pitch lower” in September needed  a “pitch raise” today (March 17, 2013), a definitive sign of the body moving with the humidity changes in the house. My customers’ home is clean, well taken care of, but with all the care they take of their home, the piano needs more than they can give.

With this is mind, I have to remind all who do not have a way to control the environment in their home and keep humidity at or about 45% constantly, you too will need assistance.  Proper usage of a Dampp-Chaser Piano Life Saver System has been proven to work time and time again. Don’t think that your piano doesn’t know any better; it could be crying out now that it needs help.  If you value the investment you placed in your piano, do not cheat it out of extra care by giving it the necessary help it needs to survive in the ever changing humidity levels in your home.

I know  personally that the systems work, having one on my piano (Mason & Hamlin Model A), and also having installed more than 200 units in the last several years, my customers have all noticed a major difference in the stability of their pianos.

For those of you who do not yet have a system, I am giving a 15% discount the remainder of March and all through April for you to purchase a system from me and have it installed by RGPT  (this offer only good in the Long Island metro area), as my installations also comes with a full 5 year warranty on labor from me and the Dampp-Chaser 5 year parts warranty (when installed by a recognized qualified technician).

If you are not in my service area, please let me know where you are, and I can help you find a qualified technician to have a system installed correctly for you and your piano.  Don’t forget, pianos do express feelings too!

Peace to all, and to all, my you be blessed with harmony and health.

All the best,

Rich Goldberg

Owner, RGPT and Rich Goldberg Music

My biggest concern for my piano customers and friends is the ability to keep their musical instruments in great playing condition, especially their pianos! 

Since 1998, I have offered money saving ways of addressing the needs of your pianos to be maintained and cared for in a professional and responsible manner. By offering Piano Service Contracts that save $$$’s for your typical tuning and repairs, I have told people of my commitment to you to make sure you continue to get enjoyment from your experience with your piano.  Since the economy has been so difficult for many of us, I want to re-iterate my commitment to you by making sure you are aware of the “Multi-Tuning Service Contract”  that is available to all.  Be assured, that when I offer this service contract, you will ALWAYS receive Professional Courteous Service…ALWAYS.

For your reference, you can read the details of the contract here “Products” page.  If you have any questions, concerns or areas of interest you would like to discuss, you can reach me by phone or e-mail easily any day at any time.  I will get back to you with in 1-24 hours in most cases, and if there is a service that I do not perform, I will get you a qualified associate who can complete what you request.  Please contact me at your early convenience if you find this concept to your liking.  I would be happy to develop a contract that suits your needs.

Harmoniously yours,

Rich Goldberg,  Owner

I have been involved with piano pretty much my whole life and have been able to meet some wonderful people involved as well. In my formative years of learning piano, I was taught by an elderly lady who was strict and emphasized technique and reading. To this day I am glad I listened about the technique, but hate the fact that I let the reading part fade away to where I do not read all that well any longer. I do have strong technique with my hands, and have always been blessed with a strong grip.  After all, there is an old saying that you should never get a pianist angry with you, because they could shake and break your hand if given the opportunity. My friends from years ago have known me for extremely firm handshake, which to me, is a true sign of sincerity in someones’ personality. At the same time, for a pianist, there is nothing more important than the ability to keep their hands in great condition. I have been convinced that over the 50+ years I am playing the piano, my hands have been the most important part of my ability to make music. As a younger person, I enjoyed playing sports, especially baseball and bowling. For whatever reason, I was always afraid of hurting my fingers for fear of not being able to play my beloved piano ever again. Of course, I had injured fingers, like any other teenage boy, but nothing to the point where I could not re-start playing.

I bring this little tidbit of information forward because in the years I have worked with pianos as a tuner/technician, I have frequently heard the questions “How do my hands do what they do so easily?” My answer is always the same—-”practice, practice, practice….and exercise my fingers regularly.” The practice part is easy to understand; practice your lessons, play for enjoyment, and keep up the technique of your finger control and key recognition. Above all, keep your fingers strong and wrist supple (not tight). In order for your hands to play what you brain says to play, they need flexibility and strength. There is no better way than the following three items:

1 – practice and play through books of exercises for your hands and eyes. I was taught with a wonderful book called “HANON: The Virtuoso Pianist” with 60 exercises for the pianist. I believe fully in this book, and, although all the exercises are wonderful, not all are necessary.  They build up your hand/eye coordination immeasurably and can be unconditionally rewarding to you with your desires to play the piano. You may purchase this book through this website on the products page—follow the links to the Amazon store, and this book, along with thousands of others are available for your pleasure.

2 – Take care of your hands by watching what you do with them all throughout your life. I have believed in the “live your life” ideology, but when you rely on your hands for a living, you need to be careful to a great extent, including doing without some activities that can endanger your friendly “little digits“! Beyond the normal stuff, also keep your skin in good condition, as when your hands hurt from anything, especially skin issues, it is much more difficult to use the hands effectively. For me personally, when the air dries out in the colder months, I need the additional moisture of a fine hand lotion to keep my skin in good shape more often than in the more humid months.  There are times I use lotion 3-4 times daily to make sure I do not have broken skin around my fingers, which can be painful, to say the least!  If your skin is cracked and open, besides not being able to play to full capability, you’re leaving yourself open for potential infections, which are not ideal for the budding musician.

3 – Exercise your hands WITHOUT PLAYING the piano. I used to love using hand spring grips (found in many exercise kits from the past) to keep my hands and grip strong. If you do not have access to this tool, you can use tennis balls to squeeze. This action of squeezing will give your fingers strength, and when you squeeze the ball, keep moving your wrists in circles. The combination for me gave me fingers that could move any keys, and the flexible wrists permitted me to move my hands to where they needed to be. These exercises need to be done on a regular basis, and if completed with sincerity of effort, will give you years of a grip you will be happy to be blessed with.

I wish you years of joy with your love of music, and many hours of enjoyment from playing your instruments. Feel free to pass this along to your friends and family, especially those you know who are looking for help with their musical training.

I look forward to your comments.
All the best,

Rich Goldberg

Based on the book above, here is a little tidbit for your amusement, “Perfessor Bill” Edwards‘ 1985 The Hanon Rag (MIDI*) (not as written by Hanon, but cute and effective!).

(*NOTE: Left-click to play; right-click and select “Save link as …” to download. Your browser will only be able to play the file directly if a MIDI-capable plug-in is installed. Otherwise, you’ll need to download the file and play it offline.)

But, you’re probably wondering why I am writing about weather with all the different news articles now of violence and depressing stories. Well…this is a blog about pianos, and I wanted to relate some information to you regarding the summer season and piano care.

During my recent service visits, many of my customers told me they think the heat of the summer is the biggest problem for pianos. With extreme heat, that certainly is a problem. But not the biggest. The worst issue for pianos is not heat or cold, BUT extremes of humidity (too much or even worse, too little)!

During this summer, my customers that had their pianos serviced have all noticed pianos without humidity control systems have noticeably had the pitch raised by the sheer extremes of increased humidity and its’ effects on the body of the piano. Those customers WITH humidity control systems have noticed their pianos have remained stable, and have NOT REQUIRED any major pitch adjustments on the tuning service call. When humidity is higher than required for a pianos’ “health”, the soundboard will start to swell and increase what is known as,  the “crown”,  raising the soundboard,  the bridges,  and of course,  increases tension on the strings.  In tuning, to raise (make sharper) the pitch of the string, the tuner will increase the tension, and to lower (make flatter) the pitch, the tuner will lessen the tension. What is happening with excess humidity is, the tension on the strings increase because of the change in the height of the soundboard and bridges. Consequently, the “pitch”, or , where the sound of the note should be, is changed without anyone touching the tuning pins. Depending on how much humidity is in the pianos’ environment, the pitch will change from not noticeable to extremely noticeable, even to those who think they are “tone deaf”!  The most important reason for a tuner to stay in touch with your piano year round is to make sure you don’t subject yourself to major and costly repairs.  By keeping “an eye” on your piano, the trained tuner/technician can make sure to stop any problems before your piano is ruined

Other problems in the summer have to be addressed as well:

•  sticking keys
• hammers that are slow to return for the next note strike
•  sticking rotational pins on hammer shanks, hammer flanges and other parts
•  moving felt from damper pads
• mold on the felt and wool (hammers and string felt are most common to have mold).

These reasons also tell you that you need a tuner/technician to examine your piano carefully to help eliminate problems before they become costly and possibly not economically worth any investment to repair.

With the above in mind, please note that I have been professing the wisdom of utilizing Humidity Control Systems in pianos for many years. I know first hand that they work, and work extremely well. On my personal piano, a Mason & Hamlin Model A, I installed a Dampp-Chaser System over 12 years ago. Before  the system was installed, there were problems in the lower octaves from excessive heat and low humidity. Once the problems were addressed and solved, the Dampp-Chaser system has done its’ job, and there have been absolutely no problems since. The mission of the Dampp-Chaser System is to keep the humidity level in the piano constant, with a variance of no more than 4-5%.  When humidity does not change and stays stable, the body of the piano will be stable. When the body is stable, everything else is a constant and, the instrument is so much more enjoyable to play and to listen to.

So, how do we address these issues? Do your research on pianos,  ask any of your friends who have pianos if they have had positive experience with any tuner/technicians. Look for qualified piano people to assist you in the care of your instruments. Make sure you know the rates being charged for services so you can place that necessary work in your monthly budget. If a tuner/technician offers you a way to reduce your piano care rates, consider this option. Ask those you interview about service if they will keep you on a schedule for regular piano care. This is important, as I am sure you know that you probably have many other concerns in your life, and when you delegate a qualified person to take care of your piano, this is  a wise choice.

If you have any questions or comments about this blog, feel free to let me know. I look forward to hearing from you and being of assistance for your piano care in any way that I can. May you have great music and enjoyment in your life.

All the best,

Rich Goldberg

Owner, (RGPT) Rich Goldberg Piano Tuning and( RGMP) Rich Goldberg Music Productions

“Eclecticity“

NEW MUSIC DIGITAL AND CD RELEASE

FROM RICH GOLDBERG

This is an updated post as of June 26, 2012 from original post of August 9, 2011.

The summer of 2011 marks the first release of an original music collection, along with other well known songs from the past, all performed, arranged, recorded and produced by Rich Goldberg (except for 2 tunes produced by another wonderful musician noted on album information). The album is named “ECLECTICITY” as a result of my wife telling me for years,  that I have an extremely “eclectic” taste in music. Hence…the naming!

There are 7 original songs, of which 2 have different versions. Three other well known tunes are included. The material is varied in type, including Light Jazz, Light Rock, Easy Listening, Latin and New Age; all but one are instrumental, as no one wants to hear me sing (trust me!). The one song with a vocal was originally thought of and created for a  commercial for Harley-Davidson motorcycles (or any other motorcycle company)! (And … the vocalist is really something!)

As July 31, 2011, all 12 tunes are available as  singles, a digital download album, or a CD format that can be ordered online at ReverbNation. All tunes are also available as ring tones for your mobile phones. The store on the website can take orders by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and PayPal. (Sorry, no CODs or checks!)

Please contact me with any questions about obtaining the music by download or by CD. I hope you give the music a listen, and play it everywhere you can possibly listen safely.

Thanks for your time, and may you be blessed with good health, happiness and prosperity throughout the years.

Sincerely,

Rich Goldberg

Owner, RGPT

In less than 1 year, my album, “Eclecticity”, has received great reviews from those who have heard it. People have been asking why it was not available on my own website…Well……..it is now!

Now I proudly offer all 12 tracks for download, individually for $.89 each, and the whole album in CD format for $9.99 + USPS Priority Mail shipping. The CD will come with information on the jacket about the album, a dedication to my family and friends who have shown support for years on end, and a special autograph to my fans. For those who like, this CD makes a perfect gift for someone who likes music that is pleasant to listen to and will want to feel comfortable and at ease.

My fabulous wife, Barbara, inspired me to keep up my music and encouraged me to write. For this reason, I spent quite a while composing, arranging, recording and producing “From Me to You…A Song for Barbara”. This melody was an absolute labor of love, and dedicated with all my heart to Barbara, who has been the light of my life for nearly 30 years. That song was inspired by my original composition entitled, “From Me to You (Piano )”. I also have several other tunes written and inspired by life long experiences as well as 3 songs that you may know from prior artists hits. I take pride in trying to present a story with my music, (as my vocals are not what you’d want to hear!).

I hope you find a few moments to listen to the samples if you have not yet heard the music, and of course purchase the songs and/or the album.

I welcome your comments at any time. You can go to my feedback page and post your comments 24/7.

My you find peace, health and prosperity throughout your life.

Harmoniously yours,

Rich Goldberg

I received a call from a potential customer who wanted their old upright tuned and fixed. In the process of making the appointment, the customer told me she had two very large dogs, being Great Danes. As a dog lover (I have two of my own), I said “Great!. I look forward to meeting you and them”.

The day came when I arrived for the appointment, and of course, the dogs had to greet me at the door, along with their infectious love and need for attention (slobber included).

After introducing myself to the customer and the dogs, I sat down at the piano to start the tuning process. After looking over the piano for information I gather about a piano on my initial visit, I started with the A440, played it several times, and with that, I felt a very warm breath on my right shoulder. Sure enough, it was one the the dogs that sat down next to me and put his face on my shoulder. As I turned to admire his rather attractive canine features, I heard an astonishing sound from my left side; the other dog started pawing at the keys in the bass end as if he was playing the piano. Needless to say, the customer was hysterical with laughter, and frankly, besides being shocked and amazed, I could not hold back on the laughter either. It took a few minutes to coax them leave my shoulders and get back to work. I have to say, that while I was working on the piano, the two Danes sat there dutifully, listening without making a sound. Once finished, I started to test the piano in the way that I normally proceed and then started playing a melody. With that, the dogs started on my shoulders again and just wanted to be next to me while I was serenading them with a light classical piece.

To this day, I have never had that experience repeat, and unfortunately, these two “love bucket” canine friends of mine passed not too much later from a sickness.

The thought that dogs have feelings for music was totally reinforced by their actions. I can only hope that they are in canine heaven with a piano tuner who loves dogs as much as I do.

I miss these two “puppies” terribly, and, the customer also moved from the area a short time later. To this day, nothing like that has happened since.

Rich Goldberg
Owner, RGPT and Rich Goldberg Music

I want all of my readers and customers to know that we are here to help you with any of your needs for your piano tuning, maintenance, repairs and any other concerns or questions you may have for your piano and its care throughout the year. Please feel free to contact us at any time via telephone or e-mail and we will do our best to return messages as soon as possible. We truly believe in keeping our customer base happy, because without the customer base, we don’t exist.

We would also deeply appreciate your considering looking at our testimonial page and adding your comments about the quality of service you have received from Rich Goldberg Piano Tuning. We look forward to hearing and seeing your comments and will be happy to address any concerns you have individually about any of the issues regarding your piano and its care.

We also can’t impress enough the importance of an organization known as ChildHelp. Since we have become involved in helping to fund services for the Suffolk County area, we have seen few people help with monetary contributions. We know that times are tough, but what we are asking for all of you to do is to donate under two dollars to purchase a song that is available on my website to help out children throughout Suffolk County as well as the United States. By showing support for this organization, you are also showing a commitment to help the younger people grow to be responsible rewarding adults who have strong values and a belief in keeping society strong and free. Please consider helping out by purchasing the song we sell for $1.99, “For The Kids of the World” and of course, if you can afford any additional funding, please go directly to ChildHelp.org and donate whatever you feel comfortable. Also, for those of you who have heard my music and would like to hear more, the album called “Eclecticity” is available as a download or as a CD purchase. We have heard comments here at Rich Goldberg Piano Tuning that the music played on the CD and on the downloads is a variety that is both relaxing and enjoyable as well as uplifting and thoughtful. For any fans of easy listening, new age, light jazz or light Latin, you will be in for enjoyable listening .The music also makes a wonderful gift for those who need help in relaxing. All the music spoken of is available at the website http://www.reverbnation.com/richgoldberg.

Again, please accept our warm wishes for the healthiest and happiest of holiday seasons and peace throughout the year.