Pentecostal Churches and Jazz Clubs

Here at KCF, we have had a six foot Yamaha Conservatory grand piano for as long as I can remember. It's a wonderful instrument and one that I have enjoyed playing on with the worship team over the years (and it seems I remember one or two piano recitals when I was maybe 10 or 11).

Over the years I have come to love that piano. Musicians know that every instrument has its peculiarities and nuances and this one is no exception. There is that dent in the lid from the time that someone decided to stack chairs on top. There is that low G string that has been a problem for the last dozen years or so. And that lousy bench with no padding (a big concern for a no-padding individual like myself), well, that really has no special place in my heart. But I love the action of the keyboard, the tone, the weight of the damper pedal. The instrument speaks to me.

All this to say that we are currently looking at how best to deal with the ongoing maintenance issues of this 20 year old instrument. I was tickled by this recent email interaction between our piano technician (and staff member) and a Yamaha tech:

After restringing the piano, the church will want to address the problem, which is caused by the way it is being played. A peculiar rhythm, excessive use of the damper pedal, and/or hard playing of the piano will result in breaking strings. It is a well known phenomenon among manufacturers of performance level pianos, most frequently found in Pentecostal churches and jazz clubs. Nowadays, it is exacerbated by amplified sound, whether from voices, other instruments, percussion instruments, etc. The proliferation of all of that noise drowns out the piano, and for some reason people expect the piano to be able to be heard above it. Often, they will amplify the piano too, but they don’t offer the pianist a way to hear himself play, so he pounds on it. Good monitors can help, but if you turn them up high enough to be heard, you may get feedback. The best approach is to give the pianist headphones, or in-ear monitors.

So there you have it, we are either a pentecostal church or a jazz club! You decide which one!