Piano Tuning

For more than 35 years I tuned pianos the old fashioned way – strictly by ear. In recent years the advances made in the quality of ETD’s (electronic tuning devices) has made it impossible to ignore their benefits. So, for the past few years I have been using a hybrid approach. This allows me to take advantage of the accuracy and time saving features of the ETD while also using traditional aural techniques as an integral part of the fine tuning process. The result is a more efficient and consistently high quality tuning.

Pianos have over 200 strings which create a total tension of 18-20 tons. The cast iron frame withstands the brunt of this tension. However, a significant amount of tension bears down on the soundboard and bridges. Because the soundboard and bridges are made of wood they are very much affected by variations in temperature and humidity. As a result, string tension (pitch) is almost constantly changing by small degrees. Over time these changes become noticeable enough that the piano requires tuning. Most manufacturers recommend tuning at least twice a year. If your piano has not been tuned in several years, it may have dropped in pitch too much to be brought back up in one tuning.  In this case an extra tuning pass may be required, because for every amount the pitch is raised on a string, it changes back 10-38% within a few minutes.

I am available for concert and studio tuning, as well. I have years of experience in the most demanding situations, and I have received numerous compliments on the quality of my work from performing artists.