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Tuning to a perfect pitch
By Randima Attygalle
Although nature deprived him of his vision, he is gifted with a sharp ear coupled with a strong sense of music. Travelling from Ragama to Colombo, its suburbs and as far as Kurunegala with his ‘tuning fork’ and hammers, Norbert Silva is one of the handful of sightless piano tuners in the country.

During his days at the School for the Blind in Ragama and Ratmalana, Norbert displayed a special flair for both western and eastern music, a talent which was strengthened by his music guru Mrs. C. Ekanayake. “Thanks to the encouragement of my music teacher and the guidance of the then Principal of the Deaf and Blind School in Ratmalana, C.H. Gunawardene, I mastered the piano, organ and even the accordion,” says Norbert adding that this love for music shaped his present vocation.

Having joined Harmonics in Slave Island as a piano tuner in the late ’70s, Norbert had the rare luxury of polishing his skills under veterans such as Nimal Perera and Basil Perera who themselves were blind. Norbert who moved out on his own to make a name for himself in the art of tuning in the mid-80s has since been rendering his services to numerous domestic piano owners, schools and even leading hotels in the country to date.

According to Norbert, the ‘life blood’ of a piano is tuning. “A piano is basically a wood and iron frame with wires and pegs and what gives it life is tuning as each piano note is given a frequency through this,” explains Norbert. Making the distinction between tuning ‘by ear’ and ‘machine tuning’, Norbert says, “Most of the tuners with vision use a tuning tester which is a digital piece of equipment, where the vibration of notes is indicated by a light, whereas we blind tuners who rely on ear tuning, use tuning forks (a tuning fork is a small metal instrument which is a global standard setter used for testing the pitch)”.

“In making a proper scale with proper notes, we have to adhere to international concert pitch as wind instruments such as clarinet, flute and trumpet cannot be accompanied by a piano especially in orchestras, if the piano is not compatible with the international concert pitch,” explains Norbert of the importance of a properly tuned instrument which guarantees clarity.

Norbert believes that in a country like Sri Lanka where only a handful of pianos are kept in air-conditioned rooms, tuning by ear with the aid of a tuning fork is the wiser mode as a tuning tester tends to be sensitive to other external sounds as well. “Unlike in the west where most of the pianos are kept in air conditioned, air-tight rooms, local instruments are hardly found in such enclosures. In such cases the digitally operated tuners tend to absorb the other sounds as well making accurate tuning difficult,” he explains.

A strong sense of music and an overall knowledge of the instrument seem to be essential attributes of a successful piano-tuner according to Norbert. “In addition to the tuning of the piano, it is essential to know the mechanical aspects such as repairing, replacing damper sets, sound boards and treating wood-rot,” explains Norbert.

Norbert who has a wealth of experience in his skilled profession, also shares his expertise of selecting a sound piano. “Good tone, wood and the make are the cardinal features of a good instrument,” he explains.

Ever grateful to his regular customers, Norbert adds, “A piano is often a family treasure and pride and I am thankful to all those who seek my services in looking after their precious instrument, without whom my life would not have been the same.”

Norbert can be contacted on phone no 0714919382.

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