Welcome to the Piano World Piano Forums Over 3 million posts about pianos, digital pianos, and all types of keyboard instruments. Over 100,000 members from around the world.
Join the World's Largest Community of Piano Lovers
(it's free)
It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!
Who knows perhaps her son who or even a piano tuner helped her .😁 Yes you video sure was interesting, however when I watched Rich's video I see what the whole thread is about. True for people like me and ShiroKuro ! There are quite few DIY tuners here .The ones I am thinking of seem very confident in what they are doing.I agree this a place for inspiration whether for playing or tuning ones own piano.(if one is capable like you )
Having used professional tuners since my very piano and watched and listened as they worked I figured out quickly that tuning a piano was one of the things I could not do on my own. We also don’t wrench on our vehicles unless it’s an emergency. Sprinkler systems, on the ground air conditioning units, and clogged sinks are one thing, working on my piano is a different realm for me.
J & J Estonia L190 Hidden Beauty Casio Privia P230 At least half the waiters in Nashville play better than I
I agree with Rickster on the view of some technicians' disdain for DIY work. Also if you have a technician out to work on your piano, it is best to keep mum about any DIY work or skills you may have at least until you gauge their temperament on the subject.
You mean if its "Well Tempered" with then 🤔, then you "play it forth". I fear I would would get "stuck" and need to make an emergency call .
I agree with Rickster on the view of some technicians' disdain for DIY work. Also if you have a technician out to work on your piano, it is best to keep mum about any DIY work or skills you may have at least until you gauge their temperament on the subject.
You mean if its "Well Tempered" with then 🤔, then you "play it forth". I fear I would would get "stuck" and need to make an emergency call .
And you might have to pay more to get it fixed after working on it yourself. That’s another one of my fears. Have the tech look at the piano and ask me “What in heaven’s name were you trying to do?”
J & J Estonia L190 Hidden Beauty Casio Privia P230 At least half the waiters in Nashville play better than I
While I probably could learn how to tune my own piano, I enjoy the interaction with a professional and I am very willing to pay the premium he demands.
So you learned how to tune?
What are you going to do when your hammers or regulation need work?
I just wont bother with any of that, my tech takes care of my piano and that is how I like it.
When you play, never mind who listens to you. R.Schumann.
I agree with Rickster on the view of some technicians' disdain for DIY work. Also if you have a technician out to work on your piano, it is best to keep mum about any DIY work or skills you may have at least until you gauge their temperament on the subject.
You mean if its "Well Tempered" with then 🤔, then you "play it forth". I fear I would would get "stuck" and need to make an emergency call .
And you might have to pay more to get it fixed after working on it yourself. That’s another one of my fears. Have the tech look at the piano and ask me “What in heaven’s name were you trying to do?”
I have the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra concert tech who has retired and now just has a few customers.He gives my piano a real service. It would be interesting to "fiddle" on an old "clanker" , just working with unions at first. It would be just because I am interested, nothing more. I certainly would not want to try anything on my Sauter.
I tuned practice room pianos for a semester when I was in music school, but quickly found that I couldn't sit down at a piano to practice without feeling the need to "clean it up a little" first. It was getting to the point where I was spending almost as much time tuning as practicing. Had to quit.
I tuned practice room pianos for a semester when I was in music school, but quickly found that I couldn't sit down at a piano to practice without feeling the need to "clean it up a little" first. It was getting to the point where I was spending almost as much time tuning as practicing. Had to quit.
Larry.
Therein lies the dilemma; tuning is not at all easy, contrary to the title of Rich's thread. It can be, and is, time consuming, and even most pros are not super fast at it. If they are, they may not be a pro after all. I once heard a pro-tuner brag about being able to tune a piano from start to finish in 45 minutes. I thought to myself, he's either really good, or more bark than bite.
On the other hand, a really good tuner might be able to tune a piano from start to finish in 45 minutes. However, I can't seem to get past the two hour mark when tuning my pianos from start to finish, at the most, but I'm just an amatuer and only tune my own pianos.
Initially, I enjoyed the tuning part as much as I enjoyed learning to play, and my tuning skills only improved, as did my playing skills, to an extent. As I've gotten older, (and wiser?) I'd much rather play than tune. But I also like to play a well tuned piano, unless it is one of my saloon pianos.
Didn't mean to horn in on Rich's thread, but sometimes you never know which direction a thread might go.
Also, FWIW, I agree with Rich... if your piano needs tuning, call a pro. It's the quickest and easiest way to get it tuned, as a general rule.
Rick
Piano enthusiast and amateur musician: "Treat others the way you would like to be treated". Yamaha C7. YouTube Channel
That video is brilliant seriously loved it, thanks for sharing!
I gave my piano a pitch raise during lockdown. First time I’d ever tuned a piano, talk about jumping in the deep end. With that said I watched (and rewatched) possibly weeks of tuning footage. Without naming names there’s some real cowboys on YouTube showing some dodgy techniques which exactly no one should use, beware. BUT there’s also a lot of pros showing the ropes.
For anyone thinking of doing it, and perhaps too shy to admit it, be warned it’s not for everyone. It took me five days to complete a pitch raise and a further week to touch up and stabilise everything. (Needs must!) I was going to learn to tune anyway, just didn’t expect it to be so soon, nor do a flipping pitch raise. I would NEVER replace a tuner just because I can learn to do a half decent job myself. Piano techs are worth their weight in gold. Going forward I’ll do tuning touch ups on well used notes from those pesky frequently rehearsed pieces. But I can’t wait to get my piano serviced, using the kettle/phone method.
But the fact is, there are several members here who have learned to tune their own pianos, and, to a high level of proficiency, at least in their own minds and ears. But that goes against the point Rich was trying to make.
I learned to tune in Germany as the part time helper of an elderly WWII vet who himself only tuned part time. He was a chef at a restaurant where I washed dishes when I was 14.
I've only shared that story with a couple people here.
Fast forward 35 years, and I bought a piano! After having it tuned once, I brushed up and started tuning it myself, learned a better technique (we did what I think people now call "easy octaves" when I was a kid).
Things used to be pretty vitriolic in the technician's forum, so I wasn't about to out myself as a DiYer. But most of the cantankerous folks are long gone now.
Anyway, I took it somewhat seriously, attended a lot of PTG meetings and technical sessions. Because I enjoy it. And I kinda miss it during this season of social distancing...
I had a friend from the PTG come to do some voicing a while back (before Covid), and he said my tuning was excellent. I'm a software engineer, and am intrigued by ETDs, but I tune by ear.
I've shared the story here multiple times about a young man I know from the PTG who when I first met him was still a student at the University where I teach. He wasn't my student; he was studying business. He conducted a survey of PTG members in the DC and NYC metro areas as part of a capstone project, and one of the questions was something to the effect of "do you agree that some people have a natural aptitude for this work?" The vast majority of responders agreed or strongly agreed (it was a Likert scale response question).
For example, I watched some training DVDs of Jim Coleman Sr. and George Defebaugh, both heavy-hitters in the PTG and Golden Hammer Award winners, and one of them says that his son-in-law was tuning as well as he did after 30 days.
Some people get it readily, while some never will no matter how hard they try.
A few years back I spent some time learning to tune by ear, largely due to hearing about a unique temperament on the tuner/technicians forum here. It sounded really intriguing as it is said to "open up" the sound of a piano in a very noticeable way.
Not being able to find a local tuner who knew about this temperament or was willing to learn it, I decided to go the DIY route. As others have commented, I quickly discovered that tuning is not easy, at least tuning well. I think I have adequate tuning hammer skills, but never really got good at aural tuning.
I ultimately found a local tuner who was willing to use the ETD specs for this temperament I learned on this site, and my piano sounds great. So for now I am happy with having a pro tune my piano, but using specifications I supply based on the incredible knowledge offered on this site. (The tuner was sufficiently impressed by the temperament that he wanted to use it for other customers.)
Retsacnal- very interesting story. I knew you always post informative stuff and now know a bit more of why that is. I think I keep repeating myself but as I said before I listen and watch my piano tech work and from Day 1 realized I just don’t have “the ear” or the patience to just tune my piano, nevermind voicing or regulation. I just have enough ear to appreciate the tech’s work afterwards. I was beginning to fear that with the pandemic I might have to learn to maintain my own piano! I sometimes think I would be more successful learning to do minor surgery on myself.
J & J Estonia L190 Hidden Beauty Casio Privia P230 At least half the waiters in Nashville play better than I
Retsacnal- very interesting story. I knew you always post informative stuff and now know a bit more of why that is. I think I keep repeating myself but as I said before I listen and watch my piano tech work and from Day 1 realized I just don’t have “the ear” or the patience to just tune my piano, nevermind voicing or regulation. I just have enough ear to appreciate the tech’s work afterwards. I was beginning to fear that with the pandemic I might have to learn to maintain my own piano! I sometimes think I would be more successful learning to do minor surgery on myself.
Thanks, j&j. Don't sell yourself short. You might be surprised what you can learn how to do. That said, many people also can't perceive their own limitations either. It's smart to recognize what you can't do!
I was admittedly getting nervous when he said you needed hot water to tune a piano, not know what direction the video was going. It reminded me of a dream I once had (nightmare actually) where I watched my youngest daughter, who was 5 or 6 at the time, pour a glass of water into the piano while mischievously giggling.
II haven't had the tuner out to my house for some time because I wasn't playing for a while but back when I did mine was also a piano teacher so he was a bit more enthusiastic about me wanting to learn some DIY. I can do unisons and octaves by ear but need a program for anything else. He said if I could do that much by ear I could likely learn to do it all by ear if I wanted to put the time in. I doubt I ever will. I just replaced my piano with a "newer" one (as in not 100 years old) and now that it's settled in I'm trying to work up the motivation to clean it up a bit. Or maybe I'll call and see if he's still working if I feel too lazy we'll see what happens.
I'll figure it out eventually. Until then you may want to keep a safe distance.