Piano Tuning

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Piano tuning and piano regulation. I often clean the inside of grand pianos as well.

Q. Describe three recent jobs you've completed.

A. My most recent job was located at a University where Yamaha pianos and other pianos were being displayed for a sales event. I tuned and prepped about twenty-nine pianos in about four days. The speed and quality at which I completed the job was greatly appreciated by the sales staff.
Another job also very recent was at a performing arts theater. The art director and staff indicated that regular performances were upcoming and required my tuning the 7' Yamaha grand each performance. They indicated that they were more pleased with my tunings than the job done by previous tuners.
My next job is pending anytime.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Ask the right questions and know what kind of experience the technician has had. Make sure the technician can answer repair questions acirately and honestly.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. As a customer, I just want to know more about how I can keep my piano lasting a long time and what I can do without depending on a professional for small repairs.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. It is helpful information to know the style, make and model number of the piano and sometimes a serial number may be needed especially in determining the age of the piano.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. My technique in the program I use on the computer enables me to accurately tune any piano so that it sounds its best and the tuning lasts longer.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I like to witness the thrill people experience when they play their freshly tuned piano. I also enjoy learning about their piano experiences.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. Question: How often should my piano be tuned?
Answer: At least once a year.

Question: Is this your permanent job? Are you full time?
Answer: Yes.

Question: How is business? Does it keep you busy?
Answer: It's like any business; it has its ups and downs.

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. My favorite story is about a lady I met at a senior community. I was tuning the communities' multiple pianos throughout the building. The lady happen to see me and was thrilled that I could come and tune her very old Steinway grand. She was 95 and had the piano since she was twelve. She played very well after I tuned her piano and was totally overjoyed at the tuning and tone of her piano. I was thrilled to have made her day.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. How very much I care about my work and about their experience with their pianos.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I was around the trade as a child with my father.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. Too many to list; but the one mentioned above describes it best in the favorite story question.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. I learn through various web sites the pianos and other piano repair sites. I have publications that teach how to do all sorts of piano repair jobs.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. Mostly tuning devices that are computer programs for tuning pianos.

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. Most recent job was at a church needing a string replacement and piano tuning. Tuning took one hour; ordering the string and replacing the old broken one too about a week and a half.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. The only complication is just knowing what it is that the piano needs, versus what the customer is willing to pay in order to get the most desirable results for piano performance. Other than that, my customers understand the pricing very clearly before any work is persormed.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. Search the internet for the current schools that offer training; or find a qualified technician that is willing to train you. The piano technicians Guild would be one good source to ask that question.

Q. What are you currently working on improving?

A. I'm learning to become more aware of some ways to communicate to my customers the potential improvements that can be made on their pianos. People often discover how much better their pianos play after they have accepted my recommendations on certain repairs and adjustments other than tuning. I want to improve my skill in making a customer's piano to connect with them when they play it.

Q. Write your own question and answer it.

A. What make one piano better sounding than another piano?

There are a number of factors: in a short answer, it is mainly the quality of woods used, the quality of felts used and the size of the piano. But no matter what piano a person posesses, a well tuned piano at the regular times of tuning maintenance will always keep a piano sounding its best and last longer over time.