The Cottage Piano

My grandmother played the piano with gusto, but after all, she was definitely a force to be reckoned with. My sister plays politely. She has a much gentler personality. I, too, was given piano lessons, but after going through Book I for the second time, my teacher gave me up as hopeless! 

I don't know when this piano showed up at the cottage because my grandmother got it placed there long before I was even a possibility! She probably had it tuned on occasion, but after she passed away, I'm sure my mother didn't bother. Of Grandmother's 6 children, Mom was the only one who didn't play a musical instrument.

A couple of years ago my sister took pity on the cottage piano and called in a piano tuner. He recently returned...

This time when he looked inside, the piano hadn't been stuffed to overflowing by mice who thought it was a great hotel. After being rudely evacuated the last time, they hadn't returned...

I wondered why he was looping red felt ribbon in the wires and was told that that allowed him to tune one string at a time though there are 3 strings for each piano key.

Take the 3 strings on my dulcimer and multiply it how many times? It took him 2 hours to complete the tuning. I appreciate just how easy I have it...one, two, three, done. (My new dulcimer is being made...it'll have 4 strings.)  

I'd heard that he would play a tune when the tuning was complete, so I was determined to stick around.

I learned that his name was Bruce Arnold, that he was from Saranac Lake and he really digs 60s  and 79's music. He plays bass guitar for a local band.

Apparently, the first time he came it had been so many years since the piano had been tuned that he thought he'd only be able to tune it to itself, not to the real notes. Then he got a surprise. The piano was delighted to be tuned correctly! Bruce said it was because the piano sits in an unheated house. 

When the tuning was completed, he not only played...he sang as well!  And it wasn't just one song...it was 3:  "Just the Way You Are,"  "Lady Blue," and "Jazz Lullaby."

I thoroughly enjoyed the private concert.