More class descriptions coming soon! Check back often. Last updated October 7th, 2026
All-Day Wednesday Classes! (extra $95)
Again this year, SCRC is offering all-day-long classes on Wednesday. These extra cost classes allow for extended learning.
- Aftertouch: The Most Misunderstood Part of Grand Piano Regulation with Dr. Victor Soto
- All Day Wed Class B with Corbin Sturch, RPT
You will have to choose the one most important to you!
Check for updates periodically.
Class A: Full Day
All-Day-Wednesday Class - Extra Cost
Victor Soto, RPT
Class A (Periods 1 thru 4).
Description: Aftertouch is one of the most important—and most frequently misunderstood—elements of grand piano regulation. This full-day, hands-on class is designed to help technicians understand aftertouch not as an isolated measurement, but as the result of the entire action-regulation relationship. Participants will examine how key dip, hammer blow distance, let-off, drop, jack position, repetition lever height, action geometry, friction, and keyframe condition all influence the amount and quality of aftertouch. Through demonstrations, measurement exercises, intentionally misregulated action samples, and guided troubleshooting, students will learn how to diagnose the true cause of poor aftertouch before making adjustments. The primary goal of the class is to move technicians beyond simply adding or removing front-rail punchings. Students will learn to recognize whether an aftertouch problem is actually caused by key dip or whether it originates elsewhere in the action. By the end of the class, participants should be able to evaluate aftertouch systematically, understand the cause-and-effect relationship between major grand regulation specifications, identify common regulation errors, and make corrections that produce a more consistent, responsive, and musically satisfying action. This all day seminar is especially focused on developing diagnostic thinking. Rather than teaching aftertouch as a single adjustment, it uses aftertouch as a window into understanding the entire grand piano regulation system.
Participants will need to bring a basic grand regulation tool kit.
The class will be provided with Grand 12 note models to learn on.
Class B: Full Day
All-Day-Wednesday Class - Extra Cost
Corbin Sturch, RPT
Class B (Periods 1 thru 4).
Description: TBD
End of Extra Cost Wednesday Class Descriptions
Thursday - Saturday Classes
Pitch Correction Insurrection
Kirk Earl, RPT
It's time to rise up sharply against neglected pianos everywhere. Join us for a crash course on wrestling a piano back into submission after its pitch has strayed a bit too far.
In this class, we'll discuss the following topics related to raising and lowering a piano’s pitch for stable and accurate tunings.
Basic Training
- What is a pitch correction and why is it needed?
- Pitch correction math
- How to talk to your customers about pitch correction (or not)
- A money-making service or a value-added benefit
- When and why a pitch correction is needed and what to do
- Supercharge your pitch correction speed to 15 min
Inside the Tuning Exam
Ricki Klos, RPT
Scared of the RPT Tuning Exam??? This is a class that explains details, demystifies secrets, and answers any questions you may have! It's not as scary as you think! A little role-playing may occur to assist with the visuals of Examinee to Exam Team.
On the Other Hand.... A class about Ambidexterity in Piano Work
Ricki Klos, RPT
Do you avoid using your "wrong" hand? Ever try something with your other hand and it doesn't work too well? This class endeavors to enlighten you about the benefits of using your non-dominant hand in your everyday life, especially during piano work.
Preparing for Your Technical Exam
Kerry Markin, RPT
In this class, I draw on my own journey through the process, my experience as an examiner, and my years as an educator to help you walk into your exam prepared and confident. We will explore resources provided through both the PTG online shop and Education Hub, outline what to expect on exam day, go over critical study and practice methods, and walk through how you can make your own practice jigs at home.
Verticals: From Bobble to Aftertouch
Shane Ohlson, RPT
Demystifying the most prevalent vertical piano regulation issues we encounter in the field. This session will focus only on verticals (including spinets) that most techs encounter daily. We will expose common aging-related malfunctions as well as some new piano setup oversights. We will learn how to address these field problems quickly and efficiently. There will be time for hands-on demonstrations of a limited number of the topics discussed.
The Interconnected Piano: Environment, Structure, Touch, and Tone
Joseph Raville, RPT
Tuning may bring us through the customer’s door, but it is only one part of complete piano care. We will examine how environment, structural condition, tuning, regulation, and voicing influence one another. The class will be taking a journey from the sound in the room back through the piano and the services that make the sound possible. This class is ideal for beginning technicians and anyone seeking a more complete approach to diagnosis and service.
Historical Temperaments
Memorie Schultz, M.M
This specialized lecture examines the socio-economic frameworks, trade expansions, and financial metrics that directly dictated historical tuning and temperament choices throughout Western music history. Moving past the traditional narrative of purely aesthetic or mathematical evolution, this session uncovers how the transition from restrictive tuning systems—such as meantone—to well-temperaments and eventual equal temperament was fundamentally driven by the material realities of the marketplace.
Inside the Hammer
Dr. Victor Soto
Cold-Pressed, Hot-Pressed and the Science of Voicing: Discover what really happens inside a piano hammer and why different hammers demand different approaches to voicing. This class explores cold-pressed and hot-pressed hammer construction, felt density, compression, resilience, and tension—and how these characteristics influence tone and response. Through practical demonstrations and proven voicing techniques, participants will learn how to evaluate a hammer before reaching for the needles, choose appropriate needling and tonal-treatment strategies, and avoid common voicing mistakes. The goal is simple: understand the construction, evaluate the hammer, choose the voicing technique.
Early evolution of the piano
Fred Sturm, RPT
In the 1760s, two distinct piano designs emerged in London. One was a very simple rectangular instrument with a non-escapement action and no pedals. It became wildly popular and swept Europe, displacing the harpsichord. The other was in the shape of a grand piano, with a simple escapement action and damper pedal. It became the instrument of choice for the concert hall. Where did they come from, and how did they develop into what we have today?
Sticking Needles in Hammers – Hands-on
Fred Sturm, RPT
Voicing can be an intimidating topic for many. Lots of complicated advice, but how do you actually do it? In this class you’ll have the opportunity to learn physical techniques that work. Begin by feeling the felt of the hammer, gauge how its density varies from crown to shoulder to core. Learn and practice how to do deep shoulder needling in a consistent, effective and ergonomic way. We’ll include the use of small needles for una corda, crown, and high treble hammers. We'll also touch on efficient ways to prep for voicing (travel/square hammers, level strings and mate).
Real hammers, real needles. Please bring a 3-needle and 1-needle tool if you have them (tools will be provided for those who don’t).