5 Things to Get You Through a Stressful Concert Tuning
I recently tuned the pianos on stage for the famous rock band Guns & Roses when they came to the Filmore on Miami Beach. You can look at that photo and imagine what it was like on stage during the tuning. Job conditions like this are so common that I thought i'd outline some tips to help anyone who might be on the fence about taking concert work.
1. Get Real
It takes a consummate professional to handle concert tuning jobs. You need to be able to work fast, efficiently, be flexible, and still deliver top notch service. Be sure to be honest with yourself. If you aren't sure if you're up to taking on a high stress tuning don't be afraid to turn it down. Pretend that you're booked already if you have to. Concert tuning can be stressful and it requires you to be cool under pressure. Make sure that your are comfortable with that.
2. Be early and prepare to wait
Nothing is more annoying to stage managers than you being late. However, when you do get there (several minutes early) you should absolutely expect to wait. How long? I've waited as much as an hour or more. You can cover these thing on the phone ahead of time by inquiring about the possibility of a wait time and explaining your fee (you do have a "wait time" fee right?) but you're still going to wait. Touring companies spend months planning for tours. They run the same show every night for weeks and there's always problems. You will be waiting it to get fixed.
3. You must carry an ETD and a flashlight
Some of us are aural tuners. I pride myself on being an accomplished aural tuner. Some of my clients expect me to tune by ear. However, I would never go to a concert tuning without an Electronic Tuning Device. Why, you ask? The average symphony concert hall is an acoustical marvel in comparison to live concert venues. On top of that, there are usually no less than 1,000 speakers, floor monitors, and side fills on stage at these concert venues all hissing and humming (and occasionally blasting white noise in your ear). Add in 10-20 stage hands, sound engineers, and lighting technicians, and you'll find that you can't hear yourself think much less hear the piano. You will also get requests that absolutely require an ETD. Stevie Wonder requested his piano be tuned to A442. Guns & Roses tune their pianos down a half step to match the guitars. Try that out by ear. Carrying a flashlight is self explanatory. Even better is one that you can hang from the lid. (Check my article about using your smartphone on the job.)
4. It's all about solid unisons, not sweet temperaments
I'm not fond of the temperaments from ETDs but the reality is that outside of classical concert halls, tunings are not about perfection. When tuning at a live concert venue your best strategy is to use your ETD for the framework and pound in the unisons. Nothing is worse that a blown unison. And, you can guarantee that things on stage are going to get a little crazy.
5. Be nice, tune fast and get out of the way
Artists can be picky. But, it's the stage manager that you need to satisfy. Everything is going to happen on their terms. Your demeanor on the phone, promptness, and work style will play into whether you'll get called back. Above all, your ability to make that stage manager's day a little bit easier can easily make you the go-to guy.There many things one can say about concert work. The best lessons, though, are learned from experience. If you think you're almost there, chances are all that's left is for you to go through it.
If you've got good advice or a story about concert work, leave it in the comments.