Vince Guaraldi’s music will forever stand as the sound of Charlie Brown. While other composers wrote quality music for Charlie Brown TV specials after his death, he is the true original. His jazz riffs that are part of the Peanuts musical oeuvre are instantly recognizable. His musical talent was a gift to the American public.

Known as Charlie Brown’s piano player in the music industry, Vince Guaraldi also had the moniker Dr. Funk. His early piano playing inspirations were the boogie-woogie pianists. He then developed a taste for the more laid-back styles of jazz pianists like Bill Evans.

In fact, Vince Guaraldi was a talented and proficient jazz pianist himself. His desire was to write memorable standards. He felt this was more important than just penning hits.

Guaraldi was born on July 17, 1928 in San Francisco, Calif. He grew up and went to high school there. He then graduated from San Francisco State College. He began performing as a pianist while in college. He played musical gigs, such as weddings and high school shindigs, among other events.

He developed as a musician and eventually made it into the recording studio. His first recorded work was a 1953 album put out by the Cal Tjader Trio. In 1955 he put together his own trio and did more studio work that year. In 1956, Vince Guaraldi toured with the legendary Woody Herman and his Thundering Herd.

The year 1963 was one of great recognition for the composer and pianist. He earned a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Jazz Composition. His song “Cast Your Fate to the Wind” was the winner that year in this category. This was a laid back, congenial song. It was a contrast to much of the music on the airwaves at the time and resonated with listeners.

That year, and the following, saw Vince Guaraldi record many more albums. Then, on the horizon was a major compositional work for the musician. He composed a modern jazz piece for the choral Episcopal Eucharist. This was for the Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.

He spent 18 months creating, and with his trio and a 68-member choir, constructed an exemplary work. This music received a live performance on May 21, 1965. The recorded album version was a success both critically and with the public.

Vince Guaraldi composed the music for the first Peanuts television special in 1964. The Peanuts franchise was the brainchild of cartoonist Charles Schulz. Today, fans of the cartoon know Guaraldi’s music immediately upon hearing. The music is a manifestation of the personality of the piano player. He had a penchant for funny hats, extravagant moustaches and varied hairstyles. His persona was evident in this unique music.

This first Peanuts television special never did sell to the networks. No one in the general American viewing public has ever seen this program. However, it did lead to the making of “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” This program originally aired in December of 1965.

This television special led to subsequent Charlie Brown music work for Vince Guaraldi. The signature theme we recognize today and other compositions became part of numerous Peanuts TV specials. Fifteen Charlie Brown programs contained the composer’s original music. Some of these songs include “Peppermint Patty,” “Linus and Lucy,” “Red Baron” and “Great Pumpkin Waltz.”

Vince Guaraldi died from a heart attack on February 6, 1976. He died at 47 while waiting in between performances in his room in Menlo Park, Calif. He was performing at a nightclub there, forever at the piano giving musical enjoyment to others. That afternoon he completed his recording work for the most recent Charlie Brown television special.

Audiences today have the gift of Vince Guaraldi’s music as a reminder of his talents. He was, and still is, through recordings, the sound of Charlie Brown. Whenever you hear those catchy songs from the cartoon specials, think of the man gently playing in the background.

When was the last time your piano was tuned? You might not be getting a true pitch if it’s been more than six months. Has it been more than a year? You might be shocked to find that what you thought was middle “C” really isn’t. Piano tuning is an important part of maintaining quality sound.

Most major piano manufacturers recommend that piano tuning take place twice per year. The reason for this recommendation is that it doesn’t take much for a piano to slip out of tune. It’s a member of the stringed instrument family. It functions on a similar principle. It should be tuned regularly just like a guitar, harp, violin or other stringed instrument.

A piano consists of strings of varying lengths. Most notes are composed of 3 strings that must be tuned exactly the same. The strings are stretched between pegs, like stretching a rubber band between two fingers. The tone that is produced depends on how long and how taut the strings. Again, if you stretch a rubber band between your fingers, you can see this principle in action. A higher sound is produced if you stretch the band taut. A lower sound is produced if you release the tension.

Notes are produced on a piano when you strike the various piano keys. Each key causes a corresponding “hammer” to strike the corresponding string or strings inside the piano.

The problem is that with time the strings slip out of position. It’s usually a gradual slippage. The strings also wear and stretch. These two factors cause a piano to go out of tune. This may go unnoticed during day to day practice. However, you’ll begin to notice it if the piano goes untuned for long periods of time. You’ll really notice if you try to play along with another instrument and your piano “C” sounds different from another instrument’s “C.”

This is where piano tuning comes in. Piano tuning involves making tiny adjustments to the various strings in the instrument. You can accomplish this is several ways . The old fashioned way required a very talented ear. A tuning device was usually used to locate a reference frequency. This frequency was most often A440 and corresponded to the “A” above middle “C.”

The piano tuner, using his device, would tweak the “A” strings until they vibrated at 440 Hz. This note would then become the reference or “fixed” pitch. All of the other notes would be determined by the piano tuner himself, with just his ear to guide him.

Today many piano tuners use some type of electronic tuner. “A” above middle “C” may still be used as a fixed pitch and is still tuned to 440 Hz. However, modern electronic tuners can be used to tune more strings than just the “A” string. Some tune just a few of the notes. These can then be used as reference pitches to tune all of the others. More sophisticated electronic tuners can tune all 12 notes on the piano.

Electronic tuners work by comparing the sound of a note played on the piano to its proper frequency. The tuner analyzes the note played. It then displays the difference between the frequency of the note played and the proper frequency. It indicates whether the pitch should be adjusted higher or lower. The technician then adjusts the strings until the sound from the piano matches the sound from the electronic tuner.

Regular piano tuning will keep your instrument in top shape. Pianos that are mainly used at home for practice may need tuning only once per year. Any piano that is used for performance or teaching should be tuned twice per year. To make sure you are having your piano tuned by someone who really knows what they are doing, contact the Piano Technicians Guild at ptg.org for recommendations.