piano.detwiler.usHow to Tune a Piano, the Piano Tuning Tutorial

How to Tune a Piano Step-by-step procedure & proper tools FAQ BlogComments Welcome! We show how to use proper tools and a basic electronic tuner to tune a single note or the whole piano. Most other tuning sources tell you not to try, overwhelm you with technical detail, or really want to sell you a book. Our piano tuning web page is straightforward, online and completely free. The tuning process is mechanically simple but difficult to master. Professional tuners spend a career perfecting their skills. Read this tutorial carefully, take your time, and don’t expect immediate perfection. Thanks for visiting and good luck. Part 1: Three Piano Tuning Tools This process requires the following special tools. You will protect the instrument and have better results and with appropriate, quality tools. A set of good piano tuning tools will cost less than a single professional tuning. 1. Lever The most important tool is the piano tuning lever , hammer, wrench or key. A tuning lever is specifically designed to fit piano pins, which are square but also tapered. Its star-shaped socket allows for different handle positions for control and comfort. The most widely-used tip size is "#2 ." To feel the subtle motions and maintain absolute control, the lever must have a firm handle and fit the pin securely. Inferior tools may fit poorly, ruining the feel, and perhaps getting stuck or causing damage. An inferior tool may become misshapen or break. Simply put, in piano tools, the more expensive, the higher the quality. $20 levers are, in a word, useless. While descriptors vary, avoid "budget," "bargain," "economy," "beginner" or "gooseneck" levers. "German made" and "Grover-Trophy" are likewise empty descriptors. Medium-quality models are often labeled "student," "apprentice," "craftsman," or "professional"but no matter the label, if the price is cheap, it is inferior. Medium quality models like that pictured or better have interchangeable heads or even interchangeable tips in case you run into an odd pin or a cabinet configuration where a shorter or longer head is better, or just prefer the feel of a different size. Spend at least $50 on the lever alone. Professional tuning levers with daily-use durability and high-precision manufacture, are several hundred dollars minimum. Extendable handles makes it easier to use on a variety of piano cabinet styles, as well as increase the options for the comfort and preferences of the tuner. Do you need a tip wrench? If you purchase a lever with an interchangeable tip, purchase a tip wrench to tighten the tip without damaging it. If you do not use a tip wrench, the tip is likely to unscrew while attempting to use it. (A tip wrench is not needed if the head and tip are a single, solid piece.) Do not use a crescent or socket wrench. These pins are tapered; normal sockets are not. I tried it; it was a disaster. It slipped, tended to damage the squared corners of the pins, had too much wiggle for a good feel and was too short to control the turn. The larger handle of a proper lever is also more comfortable for long sessions. Do not risk damaging, bending or loosening pins. Buy a proper lever. 2. Electronic Chromatic Tuner An electronic chromatic tuner, such as the Korg OT-120 is essential for the amateur. It will provide the reference for all the notes in the middle octave. It "hears" the tone you are nearest, and automatically adjusts the display to match without having to press more buttons. It will also play all the tones in the middle octave. I first used a Korg CA-40. The CA-40 is adequate, but the best handheld tuner short of a dedicated professional electronic piano tuning device is the Korg OT-120 Wide 8 Octave Chromatic Orchestral Tuner. Its primary advantage is that it has a physical needle, rather than an LCD digital-emulated needle. A physical needle is smoothly responsive; LCD needles tend to jump as they move between the gaps in LCD display positions, making subtle distinctions difficult. Moreover, the OT-120 needle can be adjusted for sensitivity , labeled "slow" to "fast" on the dial. I keep mine on the slowest setting. This keeps the needle from flapping around from temporary harmonics. Other nice features are a more detailed display, a backlight, and the ability to select a pitch rather than rely on the device to auto-detect. The OT-120 also "hears" a wider range of octaves, and will display the octave number, though this is not particularly important for the act of tuning (see below for why). You can get by with a CA-40, but the OT-120 is more helpful. Chromatic tuners come in many brands and styles. The very best electronic piano tuners, referred to as "Electronic Tuning Devices" or ETDs by pros, are $500 to $1800 or more. For the do-it-yourself method in this tutorial, any chromatic tuner can work. Be careful with "guitar tuners" ; some will not work because they may recognize only certain notes or don’t have the display we will need. An an external contact mic is a very useful accessory for a chromatic tuner. Electronic tuners can be confused by extraneous sounds and vibrations in the room. The closer you can get to the source the better your results. For any Korg tuner the easy choice is the Korg CM-200 Clip On Contact Microphone. The CM-200 is a microphone on a wired clip with which you can get very close to the string you are working. Clip it to the metal framework near the octave you’ll be working (not directly to the string.) I got by without it at first, but it is worth the few extra dollars. This model will work on any Korg chromatic tuner. The CM-200 has a standard quarter-inch (6.35 mm) TRS phone jack plug, and may be used on other devices that accept a microphone. I prefer a dedicated, hardware device to fussing with a software program , at least at my level, but software tuners exist. Note that with any software or app solution you may need an external mic for best results. I’ve gathered information about software for piano tuners in a separate blog post. For information on hooking up a contact mic to an iPod, see how we did that in this blog post.3. Mutes These rubber wedge mutes are only a dollar or two each. Assorted sizes come in handy. I use the ones with a wire handle most often. You’ll want a variety of four to six rubber wedge mutes to get started. Additional Tools post in our blog for information on more mutes.You may also need a screwdriver to remove some of the cabinetry for the best access. You will also want a light source ; you must see clearly what pin goes to what string. These interiors also accumulate a good bit of dust and cobwebs, particularly if they have not been regularly serviced; dust cloths and a vacuum can be helpful. Where to Buy Tools Amazon and eBay sells tools(you were going to look there first anyway, right?) but beware: Amazon and eBay listings include cheap, poor-quality tuning tools as well as professional tools . I recommend a retailer that specializes in piano tuning equipment. They are small shops who know the products. Remember my advice: Pay for quality. Pause for Reality Check Now that we have our tools , lets take a deep breath before we start turning anything. We need to understand our limitations and goals, or, to put it another way, why a professional tuner tells you not to tune your own piano.This is more than turning pins. A "good" tuning is two different things: accurate (in tune) and stable (stays in tune). The professional tuner develops these subtle skills through years of practice, and strive to perfect them their entire career. This page does not replace the professional. The simplified approach here is for the curious owner, or those who want to touch up between professional visits, or perhaps performers who need an emergency adjustment. I have even heard from people who had an instrument so neglected that a piano tuner refused to work on it. This method might at least make it playable once more. But if you have something precious, a pro will do a...