Tune a Piano Yourself Blog

Guestbook - Chris Johns

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:57:18 +0000

In a very quick read I did not see anything about which side of the pin you should pull.

Obviously if you were to position the tuning lever such that you had to effectively push in the direction of the centre of the string you will be creating Much more friction than if you position the lever 180 degrees to this position. I suggest you do the latter! This will tend to lift the pin out of its socket rather than make it even more difficult (and wearing for the wrest plank and pin), owing to subtracting from the torque arising from the the tension of the string rather than adding to it.

I could be wrong, I'm not a tuner, but I'd surprised (again) if I am.

By the way, this assumes that you are going to add tension to the string before subtracting it, if tuning down. Again, I could be wrong, but it seems logical to relax the pin in its anchor if possible before attempting to turn it, either way.
I think you should issue a warning that inexperienced turning of the pins could shorten the life of the wrest plank and pins, and therefore of the piano. Unless an experienced piano technician is going to stand up and say otherwise.

Actually I think you should take your site down. My gut feel is that you are going to cause a lot of damage to otherwise OK pianos by encouraging some gung ho DIYers to have a go without any sound advice and warning.

What next - Brain surgery?

Scott replies: Thanks for taking time to comment. If you read the tutorial carefully, you'll see I address many of your concerns regarding turning the pins properly vis a vis string tension and pin health. As for taking my site down, I respectfully disagree. The tutorial has many cautions and disclaimers, with recommended reliable sources for further research. I allow my readers to make their own assessment. As for brain surgery, I have a site in development, stay tuned. ;)

Guestbook - Jerome Satterthwaite

Thu, 10 May 2012 18:21:37 +0000

I was recently given an Allison piano made in 1928. It sounded fine except for two notes next door to one-another. The piano tuner told me they could not be tuned and that the pin board was probably cracked and that the piano was scrap. I was horribly disappointed. After a few days I broke all your rules (I hadn't found your lovely website at that point) and tightened the pins with an adjustable spanner. The notes stayed in tune for about a month but then went out of tune. I bought a tuning kit (I'd read your site by then) and had another go. So far the notes are in tune. But if those pegs won't stay tight, and the notes go flat again, please tell me what to do. I seriously don't have the money to pay for a professional repair.

Many thanks

Scott replies:The first explanation to consider for slipping pins is always lever technique. Setting the pin so that the tuning holds is one of the essential skills that a tuner needs to develop. Keep practicing, and perhaps the hold will improve on its own. If the pins are truly slipping regardless of technique, then they may be loose. One solution for loose pins is to use Cyanoacrylate ("CA" or "Super Glue"). Applied around the pin where it enters the wood, the glue wicks in to add holding power. The next level would be to repin, using pins of a slightly larger diameter designed for replacement. However, if the pin block is indeed cracked or otherwise damaged, neither solution may be effective. The fact that your piano holds at may be a good sign that you can work with the loose pins.

Self-Tuning Piano - Curtis

Sun, 06 May 2012 14:31:57 +0000

88 x 3 stepper motors? I can't imagine the noise and heat that would create. This idea of heating the strings is brilliant!

Self-Tuning Piano - Leslie

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 11:57:00 +0000

Wow! Make your piano a potential death trap, to tune it, perhaps add a bright enticing light inside and with the top open it will kill flies as well?
"Pass current" through every string, well that's very inefficient, in our ever demanding eco friendly world. Ok, so its probably going to be extra low voltage, but couldn't they just design a simple geared stepper motor to rotate the pegs, at least then it would stay tuned. The electronic control system could lower the note first and then slowly bring it up to match the stored value, whenever tuning was required. Then at least you'd only have to plug it in to retune. If this is purely a retro fit issue, then the motors will just need to fit on existing tuning pegs, in a similar modular fashion as the sustaining module.

Guestbook - Les

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 11:32:58 +0000

I've been a machineshop engineer all my life, my forte was always being able to judge the amount of energy required to tap a tool .001", .002", etc whenever needed for machine seting up. This has stood me in good stead over the years for all sorts of engineering requirements. It has also helped me to understand the complexity of stresses on materials of various cross sections, and how they bend and distort under surprisingly small amounts of ambiguous tensions (i.e. clamping) As I have just purchased a cheap piano to play with, and with funds being a bit tight, I was extremely pleased to find this site. It has given me the kick start I needed to attempt a go myself, I have a good ear, and have tuned guitars for years, which helps one to understand the need to repetetively and periodically re-tune. I have heeded all your advice and ordered the tuning tool, just need to get a good quality square wrench. Thanks again for your efforts.