Here at Restore And More we think it is vital to encourage Continuous Professional Development in order to keep at the forefront of the trade and ensure that we are doing things to the best of our ability. Even one piece of additional information gleaned, or explained in a different way, might make all the difference to the quality of the service we can provide. Here at Restore And More it is paramount that our staff feel encouraged and supported in continually developing their skills.
Last week we had the opportunity to spend two days working with technicians at the Yamaha Selection and R&D Centre in Milton Keynes. This is the leading quality and control centre for Yamaha pianos in the UK. Rest assured instruments which leave this facility are rigorously prepared and pianos which do not meet the exacting criteria of regulation and tuning do not leave the building.
Yamaha piano tuning is some of the most proficient in the world, with training being provided by Yamaha for their technicians in the UK and in Japan. This is to ensure that their technicians keep the high standards that have come to be associated with Yamaha pianos and their staff. The Yamaha tuning standards are incredibly high and it is a real privilege to have the opportunity to glean valuable skills and insight in to the Yamaha method.
The day began with a tour and insight in to the Selection Centre and it's staff. The warehouse in Milton Keynes houses hundreds of pianos shipped from Japan and Indonesia all in carefully packaged boxes. No upright piano is allowed to touch the floor until it arrives at the customers house and all grand pianos are on secondary legs/castors until arrival at it's new home. This is to ensure the piano remains "brand new" and there is not the slightest imperfection. The warehouse also houses pianos for different levels of recondition which are mostly done on sight and again have the same rigorous preparation as the brand new pianos from the factories.
The centre currently has three full time staff who have all had their own journey to Yamaha, racking up an impressive skill set and professional insight in to the world of pianos. Aside from previous training and experience, each staff member has had careful Yamaha training in both the UK and Japan and are well versed in the intricacies of the brand.
The first day was an intensive run through of tuning technique and standards expected at the Yamaha brand. This included thoughts about hammer technique and body posture: to temperament styles, beats and checks. We had the privilege of comparing our aural tuning to the Yamaha Piano Tuning Application PT-A1 (measurement mode) which was made by the Yamaha Corporation as one of the first and most superior piano tunings apps. Although Yamaha technicians tune exclusively by ear, the tuning app is used as a learning tool and progress aid to Yamaha technicians. Significant time was spent experimenting with different temperament rates and how these affect the tuning as a whole.
The second day was much as the first but included much more insight in to the lowest and highest octave extremes; these being the hardest for the human ear to hear. All information was explained concisely and 1:1. Specific tuition was given where support was needed or requested and technicians were always on hand to encourage and critic as necessary. The day ended with an invitation to return to the YEPTA centre for further training at a later date.
Here at Restore And More we can honestly say that the YEPTA 2 day tuning course was of great insight. It was fascinating to learn more about Yamaha in general and the standards that the staff and instruments are held to in general: but it was a privilege to glean skills in the Yamaha Tuning method and have the support of Yamaha technicians for 2 full days. There are four YEPTA courses in total and we hope that in time we will be privilege to all of them.
Quality training in piano tuning and repair is very difficult to come by in the UK with formal training very limited. The YEPTA course helps to bridge this gap and provide quality specialist training to an industry which requires support and knowledge to thrive. It is fantastic that Yamaha seem to be taking some of the responsibility for supporting the industry and we wholeheartedly support their efforts and hope to continue working with them.
We hope you have enjoyed this blog post on CPD: Yamaha YEPTA Tuning Course and that it has helped you gain a small insight in to the training available by Yamaha but also the Continuous Professional Development that we strive for here at Restore And More. Please see the links below for more available information on Yamaha Pianos.
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