Tune Your Own

Any pianists out there tune their own Piano or tune your pianos at gigs ?

I have an excellent tuner I use, however he's expensive and keeping a piano in tune is not really an exact science. I was thinking of learning about piano tuning. Not sure how the art of tuning goes together with the art of playing though.

Good luck with it. I bought a couple of books and a set of tools for tuning. It doesn't seem like it would be all that difficult, but I'm either going to have to get an instructional video or have my own tuner show me some other tricks and tips. He's been great about showing me how to do lots of stuff.

Best Wishes,

Well, I tune my own and I tune pianos at gigs. OTOH, I use to do it for a living.

If it were an exact science, it would be a heck of a lot easier.

I was thinking of learning

Well, they have certain things in common. They both take years of practice as well as a certain amount of knowledge to do well.

Gerry

Axe me about Ebonics

They don't really 'go together' because they are entirely different of skills. A 'musicians ear' has nothing at all to do with a 'tuner's ear'. And there is, in fact, a great deal of 'science' involved- though it might be argued that there is a minor element of artistry. Good tuning skills take a major committment to learning and practice. It's also pretty hard work.

You can no more become a good tuner with a minor investment in time than a non-musician can become a good musician with a minor investment in time.

However, either can make noise with a minor investment in time.

Regards,

Rick Clark

Thanks for the comments everybody.

It's hard not to want to 'attempt' to tweek the tuning on Pianos. I just got this Yamaha upright at home after many years of electronic keyboards. When this tuner works on it it sounds fantastic. Unfortunately some of the low octaves lose their sweetness in about 8-10 days and then it gradually drifts as the weeks pass. I can only afford to tune it once every 6 months right now. I will say though, I think this guy's tunings are excellent and there's a certain overall stability that lasts for 6 months on this Piano.

A 5ft. Yamaha Grand on a gig that I do does not fare so well. It's hard to play sometimes when the Piano is way out. My tuner has somewhat discouraged me from taking this on as a part time endeavor.

He's coming next week to tune this Piano for the 3rd time since I've had it. I think I'll ask him more questions, and also try and hustle up more tuning money. A tuning once a week is not realistic, but maybe eventually I'll go for every 2 months or so.

There's an excellent chance that stabilizing the humidity will make the tuning last a lot longer. Not a lot of tuners make the effort to keep up with this technology, and *some* of them don't like the idea that tuning will be needed less often, but I have been installing these systems for 25 years and they really work well.

See www.dampp-chaser.com

However, if this piano is new, restrung, or previously neglected, there are settling issues that make them need extra tunings. Those things are not humidity related. Most new pianos will not stabilize until it has had 4 or 5 tunings. A couple high end pianos do a little better, due to extensive factory prep. Manufacturers try to remind consumers of this, but dealers often ignore the facts and don't tell the customers. A tuner may be afraid to mention it if he works for that dealer, or he may just be not that informed or experienced. But new pianos=unstable tuning.

Another thing that can wreak havok with tuning is Rock music or similar styles (Boogie Woogie, Black Gospel, etc.) Especially aggravated if played hard, often, and depending on the sustain pedal a lot. Nothing will stop a piano like that from going out of tune. Also, the hammers will wear out quickly, and the strings may begin to break after a while. Hopefully that's not you.

Regards,

Rick Clark

I use a 13 gallon humidifier I bought at Sears for around $120. I can maintain 40-45 % humidity during dry winter months. However, this requires daily attention to filling water tanks 'cause I have hot water heat and the place is really dry. My tuner says high humidity doesn't matter (??), do you find this to be the case ? In the summer I can get 80-95% humidity if windows are open.

The Piano I have is used and had been neglected until last year when the tuner pitch shifted it then tuned it 2 weeks later. Maybe it still needs to settle. I remember hearing the sound board pop and creek a bit while playing right after a tuning (kinda disconcerting). I'm hoping all the strings are cool on this Piano. I don't hear any problems except the D below middle C has some weird resonace at times. I hear this on a lot of Pianos.

I play a little Boogie Woogie, Gospel, and such styles, but mostly Classical. And my touch is light. I do use both the sus pedal and the soft pedal a lot.

Are you saying using pedals effects the life a tuning ?? It's interesting that on this Yamaha 5ft Grand I HAVE to use the soft pedal all the time because the timbre without it is just way too bright.

Thanks,

pome

YOu have been mis-informed on a couple of things. First, it is not so important what the humidity is so long as it doesn't change. Around 50% is probably ideal, but the main thing is for it to remain the same. Also, hot water heat has far LESS effect on drying out the humidity that the more common forced hot air. I suspect you had a mis-understanding with your tuner. What he probably meant was that consistent high humidity wouldn't hurt your piano, but CHANGES would. I don't really agree that humidity above 80% won't hurt it, though. At the very least that should effect your finish. Anyway, I suspect the still working techs will have more to say on this subject. I agree that the Dampp_chasers help a lot.

Gerry Eat Well, Stay Fit, Die Anyway

At home, I finally found a technician that I really like, so I plan to have him tune my Mason & Hamlin three to four times a year, plus voicing. (It is expensive, I have to admit.)

For gigs, I bring along a tuning hammer just in case there are those couple of strings that are _really_ killing me. Otherwise, I've been told by a previous tuner never to tune again (seems I totally messed up my parents' piano... once).

Dear list and Rick;

Would that be black gospel versus white gospel? Rock is similar to gospel?

From a piano standpoint, yes rock is similar to gospel. I suspect that 'white gospel' is one of those oxymorons.

Gerry Save Your Breath...You'll need it to blow up your date.