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Guestbook   Show guestbook | Sign guestbook | Statistics | Search | Back to main index   # Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |  EntryNo: 191  Date: Wednesday 05:25 03.03.2010 al osinchuk i am hammer dulcimer player,,,have spent many hours tuning,,,progressed to piano tuning,,,, very good information...  EntryNo: 190  Date: Monday 20:02 02.08.2010 C3P0 I found this site after making a few touch-ups on my mother's Baldwin. We were both surprised and happy with the results. I thought about trying to tune it completely but wanted to find something about it beforehand. After reading this I now feel more confident in doing so. Thank you.  EntryNo: 189  Date: Friday 10:49 02.05.2010 mark I just bought a 1967 yamaha spinet and had it tune professionally. It sounded a little harsh to me so I checked it with a korg tuner.It seems that every octave going up is tuned slightly sharp.Is that a tuning technique? Could the piano need voiceing and is that doable by an amateur? Comment:Perhaps the tuner was anticipating that the piano would go flat, and he was over-tuning slightly expecting it to settle in correctly. I would just ask your tuner. Voice refers to the tone of the piano as determined by the padding on the hammers. In older pianos, the felt on the hammers can wear, giving a harsh sound. Reshaping or replacing this felt is called voicing. I have not attempted this, and do not know how feasible it is for the amateur.  EntryNo: 188  Date: Tuesday 03:02 02.02.2010 Javier The best and most useful web about piano tuning. I am using "AP tuner 3", a free application from the internet in my laptop instead of an electronic tuner. Has it got any problems? Thanks Comment:I am not familiar with that particular software. But assuming the tones are accurate, it should work as well as the basic standalone tuner I use.  EntryNo: 187  Date: Sunday 03:28 01.31.2010 Stuart Rodes Insights gained from reading your page helped me appreciate the skill (and fee) of the professional tuner. I was about to buy tools and take up becoming our piano's only technician to save the $400/year. I realize now I would be putting in a big time commitment and still needing the pro once a year anyway.  EntryNo: 186  Date: Monday 11:09 01.25.2010 Jyefash Un grand merci pour ces précieux conseils :D Je dispose d'un piano 1/4 de queue sur lequel je joue tous les jours, mais depuis l'hiver, seules 4 notes se sont désaccordées; ne voulant pas faire venir un accordeur juste pour 4 notes, votre site m'a été d'un grand secours. Les 4 notes ont été remises au diapason et la moindre dissonance est à présent aussitôt corrigée :D Encore merci :) Comment:Approximate translation for our English-speaking readers: "[i]Big thank you for this invaluable information. I have a piano which I play every day, but since winter, 4 notes were out of tune; not wanting to make a tuner come right for 4 notes, your site was a great help. The 4 notes are now tuned."[/i]  EntryNo: 185  Date: Tuesday 09:18 01.19.2010 Jerry Weiss Thanks for the info. I have been doing exactly what you recommend for abut 5 years now (discovered on my own) and I find it's great for "between tuning" maintenance (I can go about a year between tunings now, which is a lot since I'm a professional pianist). One note on the Korg tuner. Test the tuner by using a tuning fork to make sure it is reading correctly. If the batteries are a little low, it maystill function, but may cause you to tune the entire piano 25-50 cents flat (speaking from experience unfortunately). If you ever run into any info about why some octaves and unison beats are easy to hear and why some aren't, I'd like to hear it. I have the most trouble with bass notes. Also, some unisons can seem to be as in-tune as they will ever get, but still sound "bad" as if there is a "phasing" going on (almost a buzzing sound). Any insight on that issue would be appreciated too. Thanks again Comment:I never thought about the battery issue. Thanks very much for pointing that out. I don't have any advice to offer on the buzzing. As for the bass notes, they are hard to really tune precisely; the heavy gauge, wound wire is unruly. But they are also low enough that the human ear is not as sensitive to them; I have been told that "close" can be good enough. In either case, you might want to read or ask in the forums over at Pianoworld.com for tips. Just don't tell them I sent you...they aren't my biggest fans!  EntryNo: 184  Date: Tuesday 06:36 01.19.2010 Nancy Thank you thank you thank you for providing this resource! I "inherited" an old Lester spinet from a friend who was going to throw it out, and I bought the Reblitz book to learn how to do the necessary repairs and do a first tuning before paying someone to tune it more precisely. The Reblitz book was great for helping me diagnose what repairs were needed, but its instructions on tuning were way too complicated (I don't want to learn how to build a watch, I just want to know how to set the time.) Your instructions have gotten me where I need to be, to feel like I can get this old piano in playable condition. Bless you!  EntryNo: 183  Date: Tuesday 05:24 01.12.2010 Gerr Thanks for this wonderful resource. (Forget the critics) With your site I was able to get my piano "playable" again. A pro tuned and set pitch on it a couple of months ago and was willing to come back out free of charge. I had about 10+ keys go out flat on this old piano. Being mechanically inclined, I carefully followed your steps and used Appretice Tuning Hammer and Kit (as you said essential) as well as KORG CA-1 CHROMATIC ELECTRONIC TUNER (also essential even with a good ear for the appretice) and there was no need for pro as now I can do my own tuneups. Will proabably have pro once a year but do the rest myself. Thanks again. Gerr  EntryNo: 182  Date: Saturday 12:25 12.26.2009 Adil Mehta Very well written and a well organized website. I enjoyed your sense of humour. The information you have provided does indeed shed light on what is involved in tuning pianos. Although I would like to be able to tune my own piano, I think for now my best bet would be to hire a professional tuner and then purchase the basic tools necessary to tweak and maintain the piano's tuning in-between the yearly professional tunings. Thanks for the information.  EntryNo: 181  Date: Wednesday 20:31 12.16.2009 Hossein Falsafi Hi dear, i just bought a 1891 Marshall and wendell, it was two notes down! i did a ``pitch raise`` the strings are original and over 3 octaves ( the middel registe) i lost 2 strings,(sadness).but those octaves are now tuned to the +- 5-10 cents. 1- Could i do the same for the big coil wire (The bass section) and the very short wire (extreme right hand). 2- what is the size and diameter of those wires ,i see some numbers writen between the wires in a intervall of 5-6 tones. 12-13...14..15.. does this correspond wire size 12-13-14...and finally where can i buy good wires. Thanks for the site it is very helpful, encouraging, useful and human oriented. i use this site www.seventhstring.com for tuning my instruments it very simple and accurate maybe it could be useful for people . i red the entire page and there is an o missing in the word '' longer it is writen lnger. Regards Hossein Comment:I do not have enough knowledge or experience to answer your question. I suggest you consult a professional tuner or technician. I do know two things: be very careful tuning the low notes because those big strings are the most expensive to replace. Often, the very lowest notes will be allowed to stay a little out of tune, because your ear cannot hear the difference down there, and it's not worth the risk of breaking. One online source of piano strings is www.pianosupply.com. They ship internationally, too.  EntryNo: 180  Date: Tuesday 11:15 12.15.2009 Seria Mau Genlicher Now I know why we pay a professional to keep our piano in tune (it's not easy is it) - although after visiting your site we can at least help reduce his need to pop round just to (free of charge) tweak the odd string here and there between "official tunings". Great to see this information out there Thanks  EntryNo: 179  Date: Sunday 11:11 12.13.2009 Darryl Stewart Extremely helpful website, and very well written. I now understand the difficulty I'm facing. Thanks so much.  EntryNo: 178  Date: Saturday 10:49 12.12.2009 marshall interesting, got me to thinking even I can do this  EntryNo: 177  Date: Friday 17:22 12.11.2009 Andy Dennison Thank you for the excellent explanation, especially about the electronic tuner. I now understand why you cannot simply "dial" up each string to the exact setting. As an engineer when I hear "more art than science", I am skeptical. Now I am less so. I can see that tuning 88 keys is not going to be 88 minutes! You have covered the topic very well, and IMO giving professionals their due respect. The best I have read on this topic. Thanks.  EntryNo: 176  Date: Thursday 15:06 12.10.2009 Scott from North Carolina I have a 1908 Steinway type "O" grand which is in pristine condition. It was formerly in an unstable environment with fluctuating humidity/dry spells, etc. I installed a Piano Saver humidity control system on it and it helped some, but not enough. The piano is now ina new humidity controlled environment, and it stays in tune for 4-5 months with only an occasional touch-up. I'm sending you this information to emphasize the importance of proper humidity. It may help someone else who is experiencing a piano that goes out of tune too quickly.  EntryNo: 175  Date: Monday 05:11 12.07.2009 Peter Hardy Hi Scott, many thanks for the most useful tips on piano tuning. I made my first tentative attempt recently on an old and badly neglected piano before I discovered your site and, whilst the piano is far from perfect I am pleased with the results, so much so that I shall now take your advice and buy a tuning wrench and wedges. You're quite right, the back end of a quarter inch socket is not a good fit, especially on my 6mm pins! I am now looking for a supplier of a decent quality wrench in the UK, so wish me luck. Thanks again Peter Hardy  EntryNo: 174  Date: Tuesday 10:12 11.10.2009 johnf thanks, food for thought  EntryNo: 173  Date: Thursday 16:11 11.05.2009 alex wow!! thank you!!! a generous person gave me this piano so i can start learning how to play it after i got the sounds i realized some keys had a weird sound so i thought that it needed to be tuned. can someone answer my question how do i fix a key that gets stuck when I press it?? some keys were like that and i moved them a little bit and those work but there is like 2 keys that get stuck when they are pressed once again thank you Comment:One explanation is a missing, detached or damaged spring. The spring returns the key to the correct position. I have a similar problem on my piano that for now I just live with. But there are other reasons for sticky keys as well. I do not have advice on how to fix it. You can remove some of the extra cabinetry to get a look at the action (the key mechanical parts) to see if you can see the problem. Check the repair links on my site for other sources of repair information.  EntryNo: 172  Date: Tuesday 11:59 11.03.2009 m willis I wanted to say thank you with this method i was able to save a very old baby grand from the dump  EntryNo: 171  Date: Tuesday 18:35 10.20.2009 tundra Thirty years ago I sat in on a tuning and was just amazed. I thought one day I would like to try that. Locally there is a free piano being offered to anyone who will pay to have it removed. Its old and beat up but it needs a home. Working on it. Thank you for this inspiring article.  EntryNo: 170  Date: Tuesday 05:09 10.20.2009 tom Thanks for the article. I just acquired a Wurlitzer apartment size piano which is still basically in tune with a few really sour notes. With your help, I don't need to be afraid of damaging anything and I'm sure I'll be able to make it sound quite a bit better. I am going to have a professional look at it before long.  EntryNo: 169  Date: Monday 21:04 10.19.2009 Tony the Tuner Great site! I'm a musician who has tuned many a stringed instrument; yet have always hired a "pro" to tune my piano. Thank you for giving me the confidence to do it myself. I'm buying a kit immediately. So informative! Thanks again.  EntryNo: 168  Date: Tuesday 00:47 10.06.2009 Vernon Skinner If you're tuning an older piano, and the thick bass strings are reasonably well in tune, sometimes your best leaving them alone: they may be corroded, leading them to snap when adjusted, and they are expensive to replace!  EntryNo: 167  Date: Saturday 16:42 09.26.2009 charley I have been using this technique (same tuner) with good results for several years before finding your site. I prefer to use the tuner for as much of the piano as it will respond to and do the rest by ear alone. I also used this method to raise the tuning about 1/4 step to A440 when I bought my piano. The tuning had "sagged" from neglect. I was interested to learn below why my piano was actually sharp before I tuned it yesterday -- seasonal humidity. Thanks for your excellent site.  EntryNo: 166  Date: Tuesday 14:44 09.15.2009 Ron Richey Thanks for the interesting overview. I am restoring a couple of player pianos, and I have a small Kimball player that is really out of tune, and was told that it would take a couple of tunings to get it into tune. That is at least four tunings.And my sister has an old upright. I figure I have nothing to lose by trying it myself. You provided me with a lot of useful information. I may still get a book, but I do appreciate your insight. Thanks again, Ron  EntryNo: 165  Date: Monday 08:22 08.24.2009 Gabriel Rodriguez I have a question...My piano doesent really sound to bad but i put a tuner to it, and it turns out my piano is actually a whole not out of tune!! For instance when you play a C it registers as a B on the tuner. What should i do, should i just tune the piano to the note that it thinks it is like a B for a C, or should i tune it to the correct note Comment:You should tune it to the correct note. However, if many of the notes are that far out, you should probably do it gradually, over several tuning sessions over several days or longer intervals. If you do it all at once, it probably won't stay in tune. A professional tuner doing this would call it a "pitch raise." I would encourage you to research pitch raise in a regular piano tuning book for details before you try it; I have never done it.  EntryNo: 164  Date: Thursday 16:15 08.20.2009 Zemozits Excellent procedure. I tuned my piano, a Wurlitzer Spinet piano and got acceptable results in the middle ranges with a chromatic tuner. As you stated it failed in the highest and lowest octives which I did by ear comparing to other octives and got closer then it was before starting. I did break one of the low A strings to support your cautions about over tightening when my tuner wasn't responding. I am looking for a A string for less then $50, $15 if I tune pianos professionally. I'll find one eventually. I am gettingready to do this again after purchasing Peterson's Strobotune for my iPhone. It appears to be capable of doing all octives. I am looking now for more information on stretching other then the middle octives. You have produced a very informative document here and I am looking forward to my second attempt with the iPhone tuner and knowledge gleemed from your comprehensive instructions. Keep up the great work.  EntryNo: 163  Date: Tuesday 14:41 08.18.2009 Greg The most thorough and concise article I've read. Thank you!  EntryNo: 162  Date: Monday 17:17 08.17.2009 Alexandra Thank you so much for generously sharing your experiences and knowledge. I am going to follow your advice to tune my own piano. Thank you again !  EntryNo: 161  Date: Monday 09:15 08.03.2009 Agiad Thank you 4 your web  EntryNo: 160  Date: Saturday 05:35 07.25.2009 Mike I just bought a(cheap) baby grand. I tuned a piano 20 years ago with the Reblitz book. I would like to know which electronic tuner is adequate. I have a $50 guitar tuner & it wavers too much. Mike Comment:Tuner needles are going to jump, because of natural variation in vibrations, reflections from the room walls, and other extraneous sounds. Obviously, try to keep the room as quiet as possible. Are there any fans or motors or even the AC running to add extra sounds? Perhaps you would find an electronic tuner with a larger display easier to use, such as [url=http://www.amazon.com/g p/product/B000EE8YPK?ie=UTF8 &tag=detwilerus-20&linkCode= as2&camp=1789&creative=39095 7&creativeASIN=B000EE8YPK]Ko rg CA-40 Large Display Auto Chromatic Tuner[/url]. Just get as close as you can. By the way, not all dedicated guitar tuners have all the notes; when piano tuning, make sure you have a chromatic tuner.  EntryNo: 159  Date: Saturday 23:50 07.18.2009 Bojan Thank you for this great website! By the way, the book which you mention "Piano Tuning: A Simple and Accurate Method for Amateurs" can be found on Project Gutenberg. http://www.gutenberg.org  EntryNo: 158  Date: Thursday 23:42 07.02.2009 Stacy Thank you for the info. Great web site!!  EntryNo: 157  Date: Friday 17:24 06.26.2009 Jimmy Johosephat Sez... Thanks for the piano tuning clarity. My new "equal-temperamented" knowledge now sits calmly among my now attenuated reservations. Thanks for the scorecard. I'm now the player on first, if only in the little league.  EntryNo: 156  Date: Thursday 12:17 06.11.2009 Bettie Colson This is a very informative website. I have been a musician for decades and finally decided to try tuning a couple of pianos about 3 years ago. (I live in a large city in Guatemala but there are NO piano tuners here at all!) It went well, but now with this information I am better prepared to do some more. And eventually receive training to be a professional. Thanks!  EntryNo: 155  Date: Tuesday 09:50 06.09.2009 Kevin Thank you so much! My researching this page was sparked by listening to a 1920s Cable baby grand being tuned. A family friend has had this beautiful piano as a piece of furniture and hasn't tuned it in about 15 years...When she heard me play it, she instantly called the number of the professional saved in her phonebook. I, too, have recently acquired a 1930s Monarch (Baldwin) Parlor grand...my family won it in a raffle somewhat accidentally. The piano is in TERRIBLE shape. My dad is a woodworker who knows a bit about the technicalities of the piano, but we don't have the money to refurbish it yet like he plans to. If I can get my hands on these tuning necessities, I'll try to give it a touch-up, since it'll be a few years until it can get done. I'd love for it to be moderately playable! Again, thanks for a site that's informative, easy to read, and full of disclaimers to let people know that professional is STILL the route to go, especially for a nice piano. THANK YOU.  EntryNo: 154  Date: Wednesday 09:34 05.27.2009 Leslie Thanks so much for your wonderful website. My upright Yamaha has been going out of tune very quickly this year (after a month, easily) and it has frustrated me. I was interested to read that some tuners are better than others at "setting" the pins so that the piano holds its tuning, so my first decision is to try a different tuner next time. Also, my current tuner strongly suggested humidifying the room, and I'll do that next fall. I had a question concerning tuning the upper registers. Every tuner I've used in recent memory has insisted on tuning the upper registers "flat". They claim that by doing so a normal person hears the notes in tune, and that a true tuning will cause the upper registers to sound sharp. But to my ear, they always sound flat when tuned that way, and it drives me crazy. Do you have any thoughts on this? Have you run into this issue? Thank you, Leslie Comment:Your tuner is "stretching the octaves," which is the correct way to tune. Long story short, it adjusts for the natural but predictable differences between a real piano from the "ideal" piano. Part of the skill of a professional tuner is to be able to stretch the octaves just right for a particular piano. Perhaps your tuner is over-doing the stretch; another tuner might give you a more agreeable result.  EntryNo: 153  Date: Wednesday 08:31 05.27.2009 Joe Thanks for the giving heart. I want to pick up a piano I saw on a curbside but I need to know what I'm getting into as far as tuning it compared to the electronic keyboards I'm used to.  EntryNo: 152  Date: Wednesday 11:34 05.20.2009 Chuck I just wanted to thank you for sharing the information you worked so hard to get for yourself. I'm a fairly good handiman so with your instructions, I should be able to take the pain out of our daughter's practice time. Thanks again, Chuck  EntryNo: 151  Date: Wednesday 19:22 05.13.2009 michael i never write, but thanks..., suppose i can't say never anymore..., you're time and energy benefited me greatly...  EntryNo: 150  Date: Friday 16:20 05.01.2009 Nancy Thanks for the great website. I bought a new console Wurlitzer piano for $2600 23 years ago. When do you make the decision to "s[deleted]" the piano as you mentioned in an earlier post? I have religiously had my piano tuned by a professional once a year. It will not hold a tune. We have several piano players in our household and it is very annoying to play. Is there such a thing as a lemon piano? I had never thought about tuning the piano myself until today, and came across your fantastic website. Thanks for any suggestions. Comment:Some pianos are better than others; a lemon is quite possible. But first rule your house's environmental conditions affecting it. If the humidity level changes widely through the year, for example, that can really affect the tuning stability. Perhaps you just need something to even out environmental conditions, like a humidifier in winter. Consult a piano technician, rather than just a tuner, for an opinion.  EntryNo: 149  Date: Friday 08:06 04.24.2009 Néstor Thank you for the help!  EntryNo: 148  Date: Wednesday 04:08 04.22.2009 clement ton site est parfait et est tres bien expliqué merci  EntryNo: 147  Date: Monday 22:19 04.13.2009 David Myer Thanks for the excellent quick tune tutorial. For a more thorough treatment of a piano's temperament and even how to deal with mechanical problems, a nice little book by J Cree Fischer called "Piano Tuning" can be found in most libraries. Originally published in 1907 and repub'd by Dover books, I believe. It explains how to tune by ear and what an "equal temperament" is and why some intervals must be slightly flat or sharp. The Fischer method is the most common by-ear method. Fascinating read for people who want to know more about their piano. Thanks again for your work!  EntryNo: 146  Date: Monday 07:31 04.13.2009 Jerri Hokna Merci beaucoup pour ces renseignements très utiles. Maintenant, je pourrai discuter un peu mieux avec l'accordeur, en attendant de faire des essais moi-même.  EntryNo: 145  Date: Sunday 15:18 04.12.2009 Ariel Ferrer I am a Mexican living in USA, my son just started to take piano lessons and someone gave us a 1968 piano yesterday. The information in your site is perfect since as you describe will like to learn to tune this piano not as a profesional but good for learning.  EntryNo: 144  Date: Thursday 02:32 03.26.2009 Begbie Just wanted to say thanks for the website. I was given an 1897 Estella & Bernareggi piano which didn't even play because the lead weights in the keys had oxidised, sticking the keys together. I filed the (white) oxidisation off and the action is now pretty much ok for most of the keys. As for tuning, all the shop assistants here in Spain just tut and shake their heads when you suggest doing it yourself. So it's really great to have a website that offers positive advice which lets people help themselves. I'm tuning in stages and things are going pretty well so far. The biggest problem was not being able to buy rubber wedges for muting here in Madrid. (it was very difficult to tune without them) I've ordered some from the only place in Spain that sells them www.partspiano.com in Barcelona. thanks  EntryNo: 143  Date: Wednesday 12:54 03.25.2009 Doug Badger very helpful at the level I'm interested in. I've got at Kohler & Campbell upright with a terrific tone and just a couple of detuned strings.  EntryNo: 142  Date: Sunday 09:13 03.22.2009 John I recently came across your website and found it extremely informative. I'd like to experiment tuning a Young Chang studio piano I have and you advice will certainly get me started. However, in a amusing anecdote, I took notice of your remarks concerning clearing the area of all distractions before tuning, as it requires the utmost concentration. My piano is located in my basement where I have decorated my walls with pictures of females ranging from Bettie Page to Rihanna. When I have the local professional come to tune my piano, I'm not sure he looks at the piano even once. I guess he does it by ear and not sight. But I do wish to say that I enjoy your website and look forward to your helpful tips in the future. Thanks, John next page »

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