I started out working with pipe organs in 1964 at the age of 14. In 1971 I began my career as a piano technician. I have been working in both fields ever since. I find that skills in both areas are complementary. It's unusual for a pipe organ technician to be very aware of the importance of keyboard regulation for organists, and the voicing of organ pipes to create cohesive and transparent choruses can give a revelatory perspective on piano sound.

Organ tuners are expected to be organ technicians, just as piano tuners are expected to have comprehensive skills. I would say that a prerequisite for organ service is a real passion for the instrument, and a willingness to explore the repertoire, even if you don't play yourself, and to get familiar with the different national schools of organ building as developed at different periods in time. I know this sounds like a tall order, but for those really interested, the study is a lot of fun.

The tuning of organ pipes involves knowledge of cleaning reeds, tightening their tongues, correcting speech problems in flue and reed pipes due to dirt and mouth maladjustment, and how to handle such issues as temperature variations and the pulling or drawing of pipes into apparent tune in one context, while obviously not in tune in another. You must not touch the pipes while tuning, and if you do, you must allow the pipes to cool for several minutes. They are maddeningly temperature sensitive. There is a technique for "training " an organ to stay in tune.

This isn't rocket science, but it is organ science, and it takes a while to learn. If learning this stuff seems like a drag, stick to piano tuning. But if it seems like an exciting challenge, I'd recommend offering your services as a key holder for a good organ tech, sniff around an organ workshop, and read everything on the subject you can find. The work is physically uncomfortable, but very rewarding. And it pays well.

Bill Schneider

Larry, I knew of him, but did not know him.