The classes below have been taught at the PTG National Institute and are offered for PTG Chapters as all-day seminars. All-day seminars are 6 hours of training with a (1) hour break for lunch. Please email for availability & costs. 

Improving Upright Performance, 20 tips. 1.5 hrs up to 3.0 hrs.

This beginner intermediate class is designed to help technicians look at the whole piano system. If you know what to look for, you'll be seen as a professional. The tips in this class will help you quickly diagnose problems and fix them. Topics include tuning instability, bedding actions, ironing keybushings, fixing damper rod problems and addressing pedal issues. A detailed handout is included...

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Improving Grand Piano Performance, 20 tips. 1.5 hrs up to 3.0 hrs.

This intermediate/advanced class is designed to help technicians look at the piano from the inside out. The tips in this class will address unusual problems when servicing grand pianos as well as

improving old tried and true methods for adjusting pedals & actions. Topics include adjusting nosebolts for tuning stability, addressing string deflection when using temperament strips, properly seating strings on the bridges, eliminating grand pedal noise, reducing friction in the piano action, adjusting the tricky repetition spring, and properly bushing the pitman pin hole in the keybed. A detailed handout is included.  

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Installing A Damper Back Action in A Less-Than-Perfect Vintage Grand Piano 1.5 hrs up to 3.0 hrs. 
 

Installing a back action in a vintage grand piano can be intimidating. Learn how to install the standard back action kit in a 1911 Henry F. Miller piano. We will look at tray length, pivot point(s), damper underlever placement and focus on the existing damper wire line to align our new system. This class will also cover tray installation and locating a new pitman dowel. A detailed handout is included. 

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New Class Offering: Introduction to Pre-1900 Grand Piano Design: Comparing a 1893 7'4" Knabe to a 1902 Steinway A-2.

This class looks at the evolution of grand piano design and shows the advance to the modern instrument. Both pianos were rebuilt in my studio with new soundboards, new actions & new back actions.

We'll look at rim construction & plate support, plate anomalies, soundboard grain angles, bridge design, pinblock challenges & back action improvisation. The 1893 grand rebuild was challenging, frustrating, and a cauldron for improving skillset. It you're ready to tackle an older pre-1900 grand piano, this class will prepare you to succeed.  

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Articles:

A New Look at Soundboard Design

with Starr Taylor RPT & Mark Allen, Piano Builder

PTG Journal March 2015

A Sea of Nosebolts, Unexplored

PTG Journal March 2022

10 years After: Repairing a Cracked Piano Plate

in a 1913 Knabe Grand piano.