where to learn piano tuning?

The Agogo

HEy, just wondering if there's a school or college that does a course in piano tuning and repair. ive looked up and down google but couldn't find any in dublin, let alone Ireland.


Any help much appreciated.

Doshea3

The Agogo wrote: »

HEy, just wondering if there's a school or college that does a course in piano tuning and repair. ive looked up and down google but couldn't find any in dublin, let alone Ireland.


Any help much appreciated.

I don't think there is in Ireland. There's certainly a course in England I've heard of, but over here your best bet is to ask one of the old tuners if they'd take you on as an apprentice if it's what you're really interested in.

The Agogo

ok cheers man....know any names of colleges in england doing as-quick-as-possible courses?

Doshea3

I think the City & Guilds group do one, but I'm not sure. Certainly look out for a technical college that might do a course. But piano tuning (repair aside) is something that takes a long time to get good at, so I doubt there's a "crash course" of any kind.

Jay P

Sorry about this, but roughly how much is it to get a piano tuned?

Doshea3

Depends on your tuner. I haven't just got a plain tunining (without repairs) in literally years, so I might be wrong, but it's about 80 euro to get it done by a good tuner. Get a reputable tuner to tune your piano. It's worth the money.

Jay P

Doshea3 wrote: »

Depends on your tuner. I haven't just got a plain tunining (without repairs) in literally years, so I might be wrong, but it's about 80 euro to get it done by a good tuner. Get a reputable tuner to tune your piano. It's worth the money.

80? Is that all? flamin 'eck, I was expectin to pay a few hundred for it

Doshea3

No, you shouldn't pay anything more than 100-120 for just a tuning. Repairs and such would be extra, but even minor repairs plus tuning shouldn't cost you more than 200.

Sandwich

Anyone know of a good online source of piano tuning tools and spares?
Thanks.

thepianogallery

Fletcher and Newman will supply most of the tools and spares - but only to the trade. There are two courses over in the UK - one up in Newark (northeast) and one in London.

I really recommend you go to college to learn - just because someone is a good tuner does not mean they can teach someone else to tune. There are also alot of very bad (but also some excellent) tuners out there - but by learning in college you would hope to avoid pickiing up someone else's bad habit.

We would also suggest you look at the pianoforte tuners association webpage - they can be a great source of advice.

PM me if you want more advice - one of our tuners did the course in Newark (think the college has changed name) and could give some advice.

raindog.promo

Forgive my ignorance, but I would have thought that with electronic tuners and all nowadays, there wouldn't be too much skill needed. I'm not slagging anyone here, what else is entailed with tuning pianos?

Sandwich

The following site sells tuning equipment and some spares online to the general public.

http://www.take-note.co.uk/

There is more to good tuning than just setting the frequencies with an electronic tuner. Its extremely complicated and a good ear still cannot be beaten by electronics. Electronics are a good help tho especially for quickening the tuning of a piano whose characteristics are have already been recorded by the unit (costing hundreds if not thousands - simple E40 tuners are fine for replacing your tuning fork but can not do much more beyond that). The complication comes from psychacoustic phenomena and the physical overtones and resonances which are unique to each instrument. A above middle C is set at 440Hz, but it has many overtones of varying intensities, which will interact with chracteristic frequencies in other (nonplayed) strings and the case, sound board, and other parts of the instrument itself. Complicated physics! Hence it still is a little bit of an art that must be aquired by experience and good instruction.

frobisher

So will a bad tuner simply not tune it as well as a good one? Or will it be in tune but potentially not sound as good? Surely A above middle C will be 440hz and the piano will be tempered tuned from that point correctly, or is that the tempered tuning has to be different within each individual instrument?

Sandwich

frobisher wrote: »

So will a bad tuner simply not tune it as well as a good one? Or will it be in tune but potentially not sound as good?

For a piano, 'in tune' is a not black and white. Equal temperament is a compromise, judged to make the piano sound as good as possible.

frobisher wrote: »

Surely A above middle C will be 440hz and the piano will be tempered tuned from that point correctly, or is that the tempered tuning has to be different within each individual instrument?

A will be 440 all right but after that it depends (in the fine detail) on the instrument. In general the higher octaves end up sharpened a little, and the lower ones flattened. Within an octave, the mathematical equal temper will not necessarily sound best, and will be modified by a good tuner (very slightly) to suit the instrument. Of coarse, the differences will be suble and it takes a good ear to tell a well tuned piano from a poor one. Many people will not tell the difference either way as long as there is nothing really out of whack.

rheobath

RE: WHERE TO STUDY PIANO TUNING
I would suggest you contact the Piano Gallery 051 424442
Chris Jackson is the owner and he has some college training in tuning.
The business was on Nationwide the other night and they said something about the level of training he has. they have a website also, are based in carlow/kilkenny

music producer

Good info from Sandwich. As a pianist, I can tell you a tuner who doesn't quite get the stretched thing can really give you an unhappy sounding instrument. If all the A's on the piano are tuned perfectly in multiples of 440 (or 441 or 442 and so forth), the highest A will sound quite flat, though in theory it isn't. Hence the "stretching" both as you go up and down.