FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I
need to know anything about music or know how to play the piano to take
this course?
Oddly enough, you don't, however there is a small subset of music
theory that is important to know when tuning a piano. If you
already know it because you play the piano or another instrument, it
should be fairly easy for you, but you must still do the quiz at the
end of the course. If you don't play or have music knowledge,
everything you will need to know will be part of the instruction.
Do
I need to relocate to study piano technology?
At one time, it was really your only
option. So
if you didn't happen to live near the school, you'd have to relocate,
possibly leaving your family and employment behind. You may, after having
completed some of the courses here, decide to enhance your knowledge by
enrolling in a traditional program. You will be armed with a wealth of knowledge
and should have a pretty good idea whether or not this is something you might want
to pursue further.
Where is the school located?
There is no actual building that one attends as this is a virtual or online school. The course creator and author, however, resides in a small town NW of Ottawa, Canada.
Is
this a correspondence course?
No, this is a distance education course. You will be
interacting online with fellow students, your facilitator (teacher), who
will guide you through the practical
application of the concepts presented in the program. From
time to time, there will be live online courses that you can attend
virtually. You will also be able to book virtual appointments with your
teacher at a time convenient to you to demonstrate that you understand the course material.
The course material is enhanced by videos and
audio files, and helpful images that you can access any time. Research in distance
education shows that the amount of participation in a distance learning
course greatly increases the likelihood of completing the course,
because you do not feel like you are "on your own".
Is the program accredited?
It isn't. There are costs associated with accreditation that unfortunately would have to be passed on to learners. The courses at this school are comparitively less expensive than they are at other schools offering the same kind of program.
Do
I need a piano to practice my skills on?
It is highly recommended that you find a "beater" piano to practice
repairs and tuning on, even if you already have one in your home that
you play. You will be, in the course of your learning,
disassembling the action, and breaking strings and action
parts so it is best to do it on a piano that you don't care about or
don't need to play regularly. Older pianos are literally a
dime a dozen, and can usually be found in local newspapers, craigslist.com or kijiji.com for
free or next to nothing. Making an upright piano your
practice piano is strongly recommended as they are much easier to find
than grands. You will be responsible for cartage of the
instrument to your home by a piano mover, and can do whatever you'd
like with it when the course is finished. You should probably
have any piano you plan to use for your study properly assessed by a local piano
technician to be sure that it is a suitable candidate for
learning tuning and repair skills, and is not a drop
action piano, "birdcage" or overdamper action piano, square grand piano
or a player piano (unless the player mechanism has been removed).
What
other equipment or tools will I need?
You will need a computer (either a PC or a Mac), and a reliable high
speed internet connection. A sound card, and a microphone or
headset with a microphone are required. A web or phone camera is
required to facilitate zoom sessions with your instructor. You will be provided with links to purchase the tools you require, and you will need many common tools
like screwdrivers, a hammer, and a toolbox, etc., that you can purchase
from your local hardware store if you don't already have
them. You should also get a tetanus shot and purchase safety
glasses and steel toed shoes.
Is
there a school I have to attend?
No! The beauty of an online course is that you can study from
home. There is no brick and mortar building, or any
classrooms. It is a "virtual" school - it exists online, but
not in a traditional sense.
How
long does the course take?
The amount of time it takes to complete each course will vary from person to person, depending on how much time they devote to the course material. For subjects like tuning, for example, the learning continues well after you may complete the course.
Is
learning how to do this easy?
Learning how to
repair pianos
is very straightforward and most people pick it up very
easily. The theory behind piano tuning is
also quite simple, but many technicians will tell you
that mastering tuning is not as easy as it
looks! It can take several years of persistent practice
before you will be able to produce a good tuning that would sound
acceptable to the average piano player, and even longer if you are
tuning for a concert artist or a recording studio.
How
do I know if I'll be successful at this?
The truth is, there really is no way to know when you start learning,
as the skill is unrelated to intelligence, aptitude, musical knowledge,
or any one demographic. There are many intelligent and
articulate individuals who simply cannot grasp the concept of tuning,
no matter how hard they try. However, if you have good people
skills, are technically inclined, have good math and science
skills, practice,
practice, and practice what you are learning diligently, and
adopt a "don't give up" attitude, chances are you will someday be able
to make a good living in the piano service
business. Set realistic expectations for yourself,
including the likelihood that learning how to tune will be a process with
a significant learning
curve, and not one that you will master overnight. Patience
with both the piano you're servicing and yourself will be an asset.
How
will I have access to each course?
You will have access to each paid course for as long as you would like.
What order should I take the courses in?
You should start with PT101 - Foundations of Piano Technology. The tuition for this course is nominal so that you can find out two things. One, whether or not distance education learning or the way the course material presented is for you, and two, whether or not you are cut out to be a piano technician. This method of learning, and the subject material is in many cases, not for everyone. If you want to continue, we suggest taking the PT102 - Piano Tuning Theory and Practice course first with the courses it is bundled with, as this skill will become the main source of your income as a technician. You can take any of the other courses that are not bundled with PT102 at the same time if you want, but plan to be spending more time in the PT102 class than any of the others that are offered.
Is
the program available in languages other than English?
The initial release of the courses will be in English only, however
plans to translate the course material to other languages could be scheduled for a
future date, with assistance from the piano technology community. There are many plug-ins and features in browsers
that will translate a web page content to whatever language you want,
but any words in the videos, audio files, and images will still be in
English. Be aware that if you use a browser plug-in to
translate, there may be some concepts that could easily be "lost in
translation". Depending on demand, and the availability of
volunteers to assist with translation, the text portion of the course
could easily be developed in as many languages as are required.
What
Learning Management System (LMS) is used for the program?
The program is developed using "Moodle", an open-source,user friendly,
feature rich program that is used to create sophisticated online
learning sites that permit interactivity amongst students,
facilitators, and mentors. We endeavour to provide updates to Moodle
software as new releases are announced. It is well documented and
supported by the community that uses it. For more
information, tutorials, and help with Moodle, please visit http://www.moodle.org.
Will
the program course be available on mobile devices and/or smartphones?
Even though the program will run on mobile devices, using a larger desktop screen is
recommended. The program includes videos that been optimized for use on mobile
devices like ipads, ipod and the iphone touch and other
smartphones. The program will display on a mobile
version of Moodle that will improve display and functionality for use
on mobile devices. The "theme" or skin used on the mobile
version will differ slightly from the one used on a desktop or laptop
computer and there may be formatting errors related to use on a mobile device.
Will
the program course work on all operating systems?
The program has been tested on Windows, and Mac computers and smart
iOS,and android phone/tablet devices . It is unknown whether there is Linux
compatibility. Please note that compatibility of booking zoom conferencing within the program has not been tested on a mobile device.
How
can I pay for the program?
Coming soon! - Secure payment for all fees will be available for all major credit
cards and debit through Paypal. For more information please
visit http://www.paypal.com.
When
will the program be ready?
The plans are to have it ready for widespread production by
2022-2023, although some courses have been developed fully. If you are interested, periodic updates will be made
on our facebook, twitter accounts, and our blog will document progress.
Please like our facebook page or follow us on twitter for the
most up to date progress. You can do so by clicking the social networking icons
at the bottom of each page.
What are the tuition fees?
The tuition itself to the PT101-Foundations of Piano Technology course will be nominal but there will be a charge for all other remaining courses. The charge for each course in the program will vary depending on the complexity of the material and the required tools that will be included in the fees and shipped directly to you.
Are
the fees refundable?
All payments for both fees and tools are final and
non-refundable. Given that the course can be studied
at one's own pace, it is conceivable that the entire course content
could be reviewed, printed or copied in a short period of
time.
What are bundled courses?
Most of the courses offered have been bundled with two or more additional ones because they may share the same tools, or be of similar subject matter for a more cohesive learning experience. For example the tuning course PT102 has been bundled with PT109 - Assessments, and PT110 - Running a Successful Business as they use similiar tools and represent services that you can offer immediately as you study other areas of interest.
The
courses sound great! How do I register?
Coming soon! - You will be able to register for courses in the program by creating an account and logging in and paying for courses with Paypal. You will be taken to our registration
page to enrol for the courses you want. Until such time when that feature is available, please email us at
info@learnpianotechnology.com , and a userid can be created for you to
access the introductory course for free (for a limited time only).
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