Elisabeth Bell Piano Service

Specialties

Elisabeth Bell Piano Service:

Elisabeth has been a piano tuner in Marin County, San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley since 1986. She has expertise in conventional and historical tunings, including J.S.Bach’s Well Temperament. For a complete list of services go to the website link above.

Piano performance for your events: classical, baroque, french songs, and gypsy music

Piano Teaching Method:

Elisabeth Bell uses both her classical and folkloric musical background in her teaching method. A good hand position and sensitive touch is established with the «Finger Gymnastique» of Alfred Cortot. Scales and arpeggios are taught with a strong emphasis on harmony. Students learn how to compose and memorize as well as sight read. French folk songs are used in transposition exercises to stimulate mental flexibility. Younger students’ parents are encouraged to attend at the end of the lessons, so they can help at home and learn to play simple duets.

History

Established in 1978.

Elisabeth Bell was born in 1956 in Paris, joining the musical family of Francis Poulenc. She began playing piano at the age of 5 and studied harmony at the Conservatory of Aix-​en-​Provence.

Her tuning training began with Bertrand Richard, a third generation piano technician when he was tuning for a concert of ¼ tones compositions by her uncle, Claude Ballif. She resumed her tuning studies in 1980 with Ken Churchill and passed the PTG exam in 1985 with an examiner level score. Elisabeth studies Historical Temperaments with Emile Jobin during her frequent visits to France.

Her clients have included Liberace, Ray Charles, Dominican University, College of Marin, Sherman Clay, and numerous churches and institutions.