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This article was co-authored by Michael Noble, PhD and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD. Michael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
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A piano is a delicate instrument that should be tuned at least once a year, preferably twice. At around $100 per tuning, this cost can add up pretty quickly.[1] If you're tempted to tune your piano yourself, keep in mind this is a task that requires immense time and effort (you're talking about tuning 200+ strings as opposed to the 6 of a guitar), a strong ear, and a lot of patience.
Steps
Part 1
Part 1 of 2:
Purchasing Tuning Tools
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1Shop at online specialty shops. Piano tuning tools can be hard to find, and may not be available at retail locations where you would normally find instrument supplies. You may be able to find quality tools at a brick-and-mortar piano specialty shop.[2]
- Online retailers such as Amazon carry piano tuning tools, but you may have to do a little extra research if you want to make sure you're getting a quality product. Search for the name of the manufacturer, and read reviews carefully.
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2Get a piano tuning lever. The piano tuning lever may also be called a hammer, wrench, or key. This is perhaps the most important tool in your piano tuning tool kit, so be prepared to spend a little more money to get one of quality.[3]
- Look for a model labeled "apprentice," "student," or "craftsman." These are professional-grade tools designed for beginners. You can usually find one for around $50.[4]
- Generally, price is an indicator of quality. Buying a tuning lever is not the time to shop for bargains. Get the best lever you can within your budget.
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3Choose the right tip size. Tuning levers have different sized tips. A larger tip will grab the pin further down and feel looser, while a smaller tip will grab the pin higher and tighter. If you're not sure what size to get, choose a #2. It's industry-standard and will work on most pianos.[5]
- The smaller tip size, #1, is used on some European piano models. Some professional tuners prefer #1 because it gives them more control, but it's far easier to start with a #2.
- When replacing a damaged pin, tip #3 may be used because it grips more of the pin.
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4Invest in a quality chromatic tuner. An electronic tuner provides a reference tone for you so that you don't tune the note too sharp or too flat. You need a piano tuner, not a guitar tuner, because guitar tuners won't recognize all the notes you need.[6]
- A quality handheld electronic chromatic tuner will set you back anywhere between $500 and $1,000.
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5Try tuning software if your budget is more limited. There are a number of companies that offer piano tuning software that may give you more control than a chromatic tuner. These programs typically retail for around $300, but you may be able to take advantage of a free trial before you purchase.
- With any software, you may need an external mic to get the best results. Don't rely on the built-in mic in your laptop.[7]
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6Buy a variety of mutes. To start, get at least 6 or 7 different sizes and types of mutes. Some that work well with lower strings may not fit at all on the higher, shorter strings of the treble side of the piano.[8]
- Mutes themselves are relatively inexpensive, typically only a few dollars a piece. Get some standard rubber mutes, as well as plastic tweezers and felt strips.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 2:
Tuning Your Piano
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1Gather basic tools to remove the piano's external panels. To tune a piano, you will have to take it (partially) apart to get to the strings. Examine your piano and determine what size screwdrivers or other tools you'll need to take it apart.[9]
- Expect the inside of the piano to be dusty. A feather duster or a few rags will probably come in handy.
- You also may want to grab a strong flashlight or other source of light. No matter how bright the room is where you're working, you'll have a hard time seeing once you get into the piano.
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2Get familiar with the strings and pins. Before you start working on the piano, play it a little with the panels off. Pay attention to which strings go with which keys, so you don't end up tuning the wrong string later on.
- It is relatively essential to have a decent understanding of music theory before you try to tune a piano. You should at least understand octaves and the relations of notes, because you aren't going to tune each note to perfect pitch. Rather, you tune the notes in relation to each other according to a concept called inharmonicity.
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3Start with middle C. The common tuning for most pianos is A440, meaning that the A4 is tuned so that sound waves vibrate at 440Hz. This is standard concert pitch in most of the Western world, although European tuning often is slightly higher at 442Hz.
- A mid-treble note, such as middle A, typically has 3 strings per note. Mute the first 2 strings so that only the third can be heard. Tune that string to match the tone on your chromatic tuner, then tune the other 2 strings to match that string.
- The other strings are called the unisons. When tuning the unisons, do it by ear – don't tune the unisons using your software or chromatic tuner.[10]
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4Turn the pin to tune the string. Place your tuning lever on the top of the pin and make a very slight movement to turn the pin. You only want the tiniest of movements or you could snap the string, so you may want to practice first so you have good control of your tool.[11]
- Remember the phrase "righty tighty, lefty loosey." If you turn the pin right (clockwise), you raise the pitch. Turning it left (counterclockwise) will lower the pitch.
- Avoid wiggling or twisting the pin. If it becomes loose or damaged you'll need to call in a pro and have it repaired. Steady hands are important.
- Make a slight turn, then check the tone. Keep doing this until the sound of the string and the tone you are getting from your chromatic tuner or software program are in sync.
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5Set the pin. Once you've found the right tone, you need to set the pin so it doesn't easily slip out of tune again. Tighten the pin just a hair with a slight turn clockwise, then turn it even more slightly counterclockwise to loosen it back to correct pitch.[12]
- It takes practice to get this delicate movement correct. Don't expect the first piano you tune to stay that way. After you've tuned several pianos (or tuned the same piano several times), you'll have a better feel for how to set the pin correctly.
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6Tune in octaves relative to the first note tuned. Once you have middle A, use middle A to tune lower A. Then use lower A to tune the note one fifth above, and so on. Move along the keyboard using these intervals until the entire piano is tuned.
- Unless you are working with a severely neglected piano that hasn't been tuned in years, you'll typically find that you don't have to tune all the notes.[13]
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7Check your progress with major third intervals. As you go, check the intervals and make sure they sound right. If something sounds sharp or flat, you can go back and correct it before moving on.
- As you move through the notes, you're going to be tuning more and more of the notes by ear rather than relying on your software or your chromatic tuner. If you tune every note using your chromatic tuner, by the time you cycle back to the original note it will sound sharp.
- Tuning your piano by ear will get easier as you gain experience. If you plan to advertise yourself as a piano tuner, it's important that you get lots of practice tuning before you try to do it for others.
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8Play the piano after you're done. Before you replace the panels, give the piano a quick play to make sure it sounds okay and all the notes have stayed in tune. Especially if this is your first time, you may find that you need to go back and do a little more work on it.
- Even for professional tuners, some pianos can take several days to tune correctly, especially if they haven't been tuned in quite some time or if they are played heavily. Patience is key if you want to tune a piano.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow long should it take to tune a piano?
Michael Noble, PhDMichael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
Professional PianistIt can take anywhere from an hour to 2 hours depending on how out of tune the piano is.
Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.
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QuestionHow much does it cost to get a piano tuned?Michael Noble, PhDMichael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
Professional PianistTypically, tunings cost $100-200. The amount may vary based on where you live and who you hire for the job, however.Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.
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QuestionCan you tune a piano on your own?Michael Noble, PhDMichael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
Professional PianistYou can. However, it requires a high level of skill and knowledge. Unless you know what you’re doing, it’s preferable to higher a professional. To get an idea of how to tune your piano, you can check out this page on how to tune a piano by wikiHow: https://m.wikihow.com/Tune-a-PianoSupport wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.
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Warnings
- Be very careful with pins. Loose or damaged pins can sometimes be repaired or replaced, but this costs a lot of money. If you damage too many pins, the cost of repair could exceed the value of the piano.[16]⧼thumbs_response⧽
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References
- ↑ http://piano.detwiler.us/piano_tuning_faq.html
- ↑ http://piano.detwiler.us/
- ↑ http://piano.detwiler.us/
- ↑ http://piano.detwiler.us/piano_tuning_faq.html
- ↑ http://piano.detwiler.us/piano_tuning_faq.html
- ↑ http://piano.detwiler.us/
- ↑ http://piano.detwiler.us/
- ↑ http://www.dirksprojects.nl/index.php?Lan=english&Page=Tuner/ManualPianoTuning.php
- ↑ http://piano.detwiler.us/
- ↑ http://piano.detwiler.us/
- ↑ http://www.dirksprojects.nl/index.php?Lan=english&Page=Tuner/ManualPianoTuning.php
- ↑ http://piano.detwiler.us/
- ↑ http://piano.detwiler.us/
- ↑ http://piano.detwiler.us/piano_tuning_faq.html
- ↑ http://piano.detwiler.us/piano-tuning-blog/piano-tuning/additional-piano-tuning-tools/
- ↑ http://piano.detwiler.us/piano_tuning_faq.html
About This Article
Michael Noble, PhD
Professional Pianist
This article was co-authored by Michael Noble, PhD and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD. Michael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia. This article has been viewed 313,614 times.
Co-authors: 36
Updated: December 21, 2022
Views: 313,614
Categories: Piano
Article SummaryX
To tune a piano, start by taking off the piano's external panels so you're able to access the strings and pins inside. Then, play one of the keys and use an electronic chromatic tuner to see if it's in tune. If the pitch is too high, use a tuning lever to turn the corresponding pin counterclockwise. If the pitch is too low, turn the pin clockwise instead. Continue to make slight adjustments until the key is in sync with the chromatic tuner. Then, tune the rest of the notes in octaves relative to the first note you tuned. If you want to learn what key to start on when you're tuning your piano, continue reading!
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