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Barrie Heaton Dip. AEWVH, FABPT, FIMIT, CGLI (hon.), MMPTA (usa),

Barrie Heaton Dip. AEWVH, FABPT, FIMIT, CGLI (hon.), MMPTA (usa),








5 star(s) from 14 votes


I recondition, repair, and tune pianos in the Lancashire area of England. I cover all of Lancashire area, North Manchester, parts of Merseyside and South Cumbria. Why do I cover such a large area? I provide services that other tuners do not and for this reason manufacturers and retailers in the UK use my skills, one of which is one site polyester repairs .

I have been vetted by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and therefore approved to work in situations with vulnerable adults and children. (Previously known as CRB checks).


tuning-at-BBC-voice.jpg

Background:

I was trained as a Piano Tuner at RNCB back in the 70s where I received a diploma in piano tuning and repairing. I also obtained my City and Guilds String Instrument Design, String Instrument Repair, and String Instrument Tuning and Toning, parts one and two, in all three City and Guilds. I also completed Action Finishing and Regulating part one. As part of my training in 1978, I spent six weeks at Bentley Pianos on tuning and toning and one day a week out of the six in the action finishing and regulating department. During that same year, I was awarded the clothworkers' prize for the highest exam pass for City and Guilds for all of the UK. In 1979, I spent time at Kemble-Yamaha on voicing and toning. In 1979, I received the Layton prize for best piano repairer, and that prize was awarded to me byHRH the Prince of Wales. In 1980, I started to work for Hunt's Pianos in Darwen, at the time the largest restoration/wholesaler in the UK with over 2,000 pianos in stock at any one time. The following year I was promoted to head technician among five technicians and two apprentices. In November 1986 I set up my own workshop and tuning round, since them I have attended technical refresher

 

These are some of the towns and villages I cover (please see the map below):

Lancashire Towns and Villages




 

 

  • Abbey Village
  • Accrington
  • Adlington
  • Altham
  • Atherton
  • Ashton-in-Makerfield
  • Aspull
  • Aughton
  • Bacup
  • Balderstone
  • Bamber Bridge
  • Barnoldswick
  • Barrowford
  • Baxenden
  • Belmount
  • Belthorn
  • Blackburn
  • Blackrod
  • Bolton
  • Bolton-by-Bowland
  • Bretherton
  • Brierfield
  • Brinscall
  • Burnley
  • Burscough
  • Bury
  • Carnforth
  • Chatburn
  • Chapeltown
  • Chorley
  • Clayton-le-Moors
  • Clayton-le-Woods
  • Clitheroe
  • Cliviger
  • Colne
  • Coppull
  • Crawshawbooth
  • Croston
  • Darwen
  • Earby
  • Eccleston
  • Edenfield
  • Edgworth
  • Euxton
  • Fence
  • Formby
  • Freckleton
  • Fulwood
  • Garstang
  • Goosnargh
  • Great Harwood
  • Greenmount
  • Hiagh
  • Hapton
  • Haslingden
  • Haywood
  • Helmshore
  • Hindley
  • Hoddiesden
  • Hogton
  • Horwich
  • Huncoat
  • Hutton
  • Irwell Vale
  • Ince
  • Kearsley
  • Lancaster
  • Leigh
  • Leyland
  • Longton
  • Longridge
  • Lowton
  • Lum
  • Lytham St Annes
  • Mawdesley
  • Morecambe
  • Milnrow
  • Nelson
  • Newburgh
  • New Longton
  • Orrell
  • Ormskirk
  • Oswaldtwistle
  • Padiham
  • Parbold
  • Penwortham
  • Preston
  • Radcliffe
  • Ramsbottom
  • Rawtenstall
  • Ribchester
  • Rishton
  • Rossendale
  • Royton
  • Rufford
  • Samlesbury
  • Scarisbrick
  • Shaw
  • Shevington
  • Silverdale
  • Skelmersdale
  • Southport
  • Stacksteads
  • Standish
  • Swinton
  • Tarleton
  • Tockholes
  • Tottington
  • Turton
  • Tyldesley
  • Up-Holland
  • Waddington
  • Walton
  • Waterfoot
  • Westhoughton
  • Wheelton
  • Wigan
  • Withnell
  • Worsley
  • Worsthorne

Contact Information

  • 31 Wyre Crescent
    Darwen, Lancashire BB30JG
    England
  • Mobile: 07973 628608
  • Send Message vCard
  • Hours

    Monday:
    07:00 - 15:30
    Tuesday:
    07:00 - 15:30
    Wednesday:
    07:00 - 15:30
    Thursday:
    07:00 - 15:30
    Friday:
    07:00 - 15:30

Map

More Locations

Other Information

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Reviews

 STECK baby grand, 17-04-2017 03:33PM

By: Kevin Kearns

It is a pleasure to report that a service received exceeded one’s most optimistic hopes and expectations - Barrie’s work on the repair and tuning of an elderly STECK baby grand certainly warrants this accolade. The piano appears to be about a hundred years old and it had, to say the least, been neglected – indeed over the last six years it had been located in an unoccupied property. Apart from the many other problems which required attention, a large number of the keytops had become displaced and attempts had been made to re-fix them with an inappropriate adhesive.

None of this phased Barrie. He took the Action to his workshop; he replaced all the keytops and undertook all the required repairs. Within three weeks Barrie had completed this work; he then reinstalled the Action, cleaned the frame to its former glory and tuned the piano.

This was a challenging undertaking, which Barrie completed with consummate professional skill – and considerable good humour. To say that his client is delighted, would be a very substantial understatement. One was fortunate to have had him recommended by a professional in his own field. Barrie has earned appreciation and the warmest thanks of all concerned in this project.

Kevin Kearns

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Did You Know Piano Facts

1400
By approximately 1400 the clavichord had about ten strings and inearlier examples two notes or more were produced from that string or pair of strings by making two or more tangents contact thesame string or pair of strings at different points. This typeis termed fretted, or in German Gebunden. A later type, in whicheach note has its own string, or strings, is called a "Bundfrei"clavichord. The clavichord is the simplest and usually the smallestof string keyboard instruments. It is rather like an oblong boxwith the keyboard running nearly the length of one long side andwith the horizontally placed strings almost parallel to that side.The small wrest pins and bridge are at the right-hand side andthe strings are permanently damped at their left-hand ends by astrip of felt or cloth. The strings are struck from below by smallpieces of metal shaped like a screwdriver blade, which are fixed tothe backs of the key frame as tangents.

Since about 1450 keyboards have virtually remained the same,except for a little variation in the colour of the keys, as the older ones had the reverse of the present-day key colouring. The organ was the first keyboard instrument and the weight of the keys has varied greatly since the earliest examples, whose keys were so heavy that the players were called "Organ Beaters." Around the thirteenth or fourteenth century, keyboards were laid out according to the natural modes which were the basis of the musical system. The interval of the augmented fourth, B toF, was considered discordant, so B was lowered by adding anextra short key, which procedure then led to five accidentals, B flat being followed by F sharp, E flat, C sharp, and G sharp.

Today's arrangement was found as long ago as 1361, as demonstrated by paintings of the time. The first member of the harpsichord family was the virginal or virginals. The strings on this instrument are plucked by plectra and the shape is similar to that of the clavichord. The spinet followed the clavichord and then came the more elaborate harpsichord.

Tuning often followed the meantone system where major thirdswere tuned precisely and other intervals tempered. This created somevery wild intervals and the howling sound resulted in them beingcalled "wolves" or the "wolf interval." If a series of fifths is tunedfrom the bottom A upwards, when the top A is reached it will be a quarter of a semitone sharp if all are tuned in pure intervals, and this is called the Pythagorean comma. The spinet could have received its name from a possible Italianinventor, Giovanni Spinette, or from the connection with spinethorns, which were used for plucking the strings.