Category: Uncategorized

Melsen’s Piano Log: Piano Log 2015-2-16

Melsen’s Piano Log: Piano Log 2015-2-16

Another longer post (too long to post the recording directly on tumblr!). Here in Boston, we have had so much snow in the past month! The snowbanks are at least 9 feet tall on either side of our driveway, and our little street is like a bobsled tunnel. The last time I remember seeing this much snow, I was a child, and the walkways went over my head because I was tiny! Needless to say, I have had snow on the brain. So this improvisation ends in a little tune I remember from when I was that small child, watching a sweet movie about another child and his snowman.

You can follow the link, or just subscribe to the Melsen’s Piano Log podcast through the iTunes store.

tumblr_nj5gg7T0Pu1rpz0yi

melsenspianolog:

I recently purchased a Zoom iQ6 X-Y Stereo Microphone for iOS from Guitar Center, and this is the first recording I made with it. I have been making all my recordings on my iPhone, but the recording quality hasn’t been great for music. I’m still working out the best settings to use, but I think you’ll notice the difference!

I just adjusted the levels on this recording – it turned out louder than I expected the first time. Sorry if you tried to listen to this and were put off by how much noise there was! It should work better now…

Piano Log 2015-1-12

Piano Log 2015-1-12

In October 2014, I found a free piano on Craigslist. It was so out of tune that some of the treble keys (which have three strings each) played three different distinct notes at once! But I have played many, many upright pianos by now, in various states of disrepair, and I liked the feel of this one. The keys were intact, the soft pedal and damper pedal worked, and it was very resonant.

I paid movers to transport it to my apartment, and I hired a piano technician to fix up the action. When we opened up the cabinet of the instrument, we found so much dust and mold! So my task for the next couple months was to clean the keys and vacuum the interior as thoroughly as I could. When we finally put it back together, I attempted to tune it myself. I had adequate tools, and a relatively good ear, but it was my first time, and I didn’t realize that a bunch of the treble tuning pegs were loose.

Yesterday, I hired that same technician to tune it professionally, and he showed me how some of the pegs were so loose, they could slip very easily. So, I’m going to keep track of which keys slip out of tune, and eventually I will use a hammer to drive those pegs deeper into the wood of the soundboard before I get it tuned again!

I made this recording within two hours of having the piano tuned. It’s a longer format than usual – I couldn’t resist! Enjoy.

I just found an upright piano for free on Craigslist, and I’m working on cleaning it up while a piano technician is fixing up the hammer mechanisms (the “action”). The piano is from 1900, and when we opened it up, there was a LOT of very old dust inside. I’m currently cleaning the keys one by one. So excited for it to be ready to play!