Recently I inherited a piano from a good friend of a good friend. It sits snuggly in the corner of my living room.
Yesterday I had the piano tuned for the first time in 20 years.
The gentleman arrives, proud to be tuning piano’s for 52 years – 52 YEARS! He is slightly stooped and tells me how thankful he is that at 72 he is still able to get out and do the thing he loves – tune piano’s.
He follows me into the living room and I point to the piano. He puts down the case he has brought along. It looks similar to a traveling farm animal vet case. It is a gently worn, hard, black leather covered case.
He sets out on his business of tuning my piano.
He plays a little ditty and promptly clicks his tongue and makes a disapproving noise.
He takes the top cover off and promptly clicks his tongue and makes a disapproving noise.
“Lots of dust,” he briskly comments.
I grab the vacuum, plug it in, turn it on and hand it to him.
He puts his hand over the end of the vacuum to check the suction and promptly clicks his tongue and makes a disapproving noise.
“You may also need a cloth,” he stoically states.
I grab a cloth and help him wipe down the inside of the piano and then I slither off like an unworthy child to my kitchen. I sit silently and peer around the corner to watch him work.
He progresses with the tuning.
“This is a good little piano and it will be alright with some care,” he announces after an hour and a half of tuning.
Before he leaves he gives me a few additional tips and suggestions.
1. Play my piano
2. Have my piano tuned regularly
3. Buy a humidifier for the winter time and if I am really serious like he is, install one on my furnace!
4. Buy a new vacuum
ecitygirl 
As usual a good, funny and interesting story..enjoy your piano..I passed mine on a number of years ago to a young family who are in love with the old girl and will celebrate her 80th birthday this year…I celebrated my 81st two weeks ago and like that old instrument still try to bring some joy to those about me.
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A beautiful story… Thanks
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Hehe… funny man. However, that used to be a great vacuum 😁
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😀 it still works well on carpets, just not Pianos!
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