The Steinway That Wouldn't Budge: Confessions of a Piano Tuner, by Peter Tryon. My piano—as far as I know—only contains the standard hammers and such, plus perhaps the occasional penny or pencil. Other people's pianos…well, let's allow author and piano technician Peter Tryon do the honors: In pianos over the years, I've discovered pens, rulers, umb...

My piano tuner is also a flutist in a major symphony orchestra. During one of his first service calls to my home, I realized that the man sitting at my piano, casually dressed and listening intently, was wearing white tie and tails on stage the week before. I asked him which came first, the chicken or the egg-was he a player who tuned or a tun...