Course Outline

Australasian School of Piano Technology

Overview

With one million pianos in Australia and another 5,000 being imported each year there is an alarming shortage of expertise to keep them in tune. The Australasian Piano Tuners Guild reports that of their 250 members sixty-five percent are over 50 years old.

This points to a serious decline in the number of available technicians with the expertise to meet the growing demand. Australasian Piano Technology in association with Yamaha Music Australia has bridged the gap with the introduction of a new 12-month course based in Melbourne.

The Australasian School of Piano Technology is run with the support of the Australasian Piano Tuners and Technicians Association. The course is run by concert technician Brent Ottley who has over 20 years industry experience and counted among his clients the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Melbourne Recital Centre.

Brent graduated from Preston College in 1988 and furthered his specialist training in concert tuning at Yamaha Japan, Yamaha America and Steinway and Sons in Hamburg. He has a Cert IV in training and assessment.

The comprehensive course provides the opportunity for 8 students to be trained in high level tuning and acoustics as well as developing the skills required to run a small business.

Learning Outcomes

• Follow safe working policies and practices
• Develop control of tuning hammers
• Understanding piano tuning theory and basic acoustics
• Tune unisons aurally to a beatless condition
• Regulate action keys and pedals of upright pianos
• Tune a temperament ocatave
• Repair upright and grand piano action, keys, strings and pedals
• Pitch raise
• Develop knowledge of piano industry
• Tune a piano aurally and or electronically within time and accuracy constraints
• Voice a piano
• How to run a small business