Hi, just a few notes on the piano tuning course by correspondence:

I took the Niles-Bryant course in the early 1970's (as well as one from
the American School of Piano Tuning).  The course was very out of date
then, and is even more so now as they have not updated it at all.
These two courses are cheap, but you get what you pay for and as was
related earlier, the help wasn't that great.

There is only one course on the market that is of any value at all.
My son, Tonnes, is taking it right now (he is 18)  and it is a good
_introduction_ to the trade.  This class is the Randy Potter School
of Piano Technology, 61592 Orion Drive, Bend, OR 97702 ;
tel: (541) 382-5411

There are three video tapes included and a huge course book, six other
books, catalogs,  manufacturers service manuals, etc., etc.  They are
prompt in returning the questions you send for help, and they give good
advice.

On to the tuners:

For a piano to get the proper stretch tuning ( due to a fun thing in a
piano called inharmonicity) there are three tuners that are available
(that I know of) that will do this...

The needle type tuning aids are a waste of time with a piano, as well
as the strobe type devices.  The early Hale "Sight-O-Tuner" tuner can
work, but with much difficulty.  Yamaha had a tuning device that I have
heard works okay.  The other two are the Reyburn Cyber tuner and the
Sanderson Accutuner.  These are roughly $1600.00 a copy.  The Reyburn
is in a laptop computer from Apple, and the Sanderson is a stand alone
dedicated tuning device, small and portable .

As for the Piano Technicians Guild (PTG):

The PTG is a good place to go for information.  PTG members are
dedicated to improving their skills and methods by regularly attending
classes and seminars.  Perhaps you could find a tuner to teach you to
tune by ear.  (Sanderson has a device to learn how to count beats that
works with a LOT of practice.)  Or maybe a technician in your area is
infected with the mechanical music bug and could help you.

The price of these could also buy a lot of professional tunings.

   Reyburn
   tel: 888-soft-440
   dean@reyburn.com

   Sanderson (Iventronics)
   tel: 800-fast-440
   inventrncs@aol.com

Just a few thoughts,

Thanks

Scott Olson