Tuning
Regular tuning is the most important aspect of looking after your piano. As well as keeping it sounding its best, every tuning also provides an excellent opportunity to assess a piano’s general condition and to identify other work which may be beneficial.
The costs for tuning depend on how far out of tune a piano is and whether any additional work is needed. Please read on below for more information.
Routine Tuning Appointment: £75 - £100
Recommended for pianos which have been tuned in the last 10 years, and which are generally in good mechanical order.
- The current pitch of your piano will be measured. Pianos within 6 cents (6¢)* of Standard Pitch (A440Hz) will be tuned in one pass at a cost of £75. Pianos between 6¢ to 40¢ from Standard Pitch will require a single pitch correction prior to fine tuning, bringing the cost to £100.
- Minor mechanical issues will also be fixed during tuning. Such fixes commonly include lubricating one or two sticking notes, regluing a few keytops, or sorting out a squeaking or unresponsive pedal.
- The humidity of the room will be measured and logged in your service record. This is done to understand how environmental factors may be affecting your piano over time.
- Notes will be made of any further work which would benefit your piano. I’ll then be glad to advise you on these and provide estimates if you so wish.
*What are cents (¢)?: One cent (1¢) is one percent of a semi-tone. In other words, the difference between any two adjacent notes on the piano is 100¢. In relation to hertz (Hz), 4¢ is almost exactly equivalent to 1Hz at A440Hz.
What if my piano is more than 40¢ flat?: If this is the case, then I won’t have time to bring it back to Standard Pitch during a routine appointment, but you have a number of options:
- Consider booking a Tune & Service Appointment instead, as this allows time for larger pitch corrections (see below).
- I can always make a start one day and book a follow-up appointment to complete the tuning.
- Alternatively, pianos more than 40¢ flat can be tuned to a lower pitch during a routine appointment to save on cost. This may even be advisable for some older, more fragile instruments.
Tune & Service Appointment: £150 - £200
Recommended for pianos which may not have been tuned in the last 10 years, or which need some additional servicing.
There’s no set schedule for a Tune & Service Appointment; I simply assess each piano on the day, and carry out the most beneficial work in the time available. That said, my workflow is generally ordered as follows:
- Tackle any mechanical issues which are impeding tuning or playing.
- Tune the piano to Concert Pitch (A440Hz), or as near as possible given the piano’s age/condition.
- Improve the piano’s responsiveness and tone as far as possible in the remaining time through a combination of regulation and voicing. (NB: Cleaning supplies aren’t part of my daily kit, so if you would prefer any cleaning at this stage, please let me know in advance.)
- The humidity of the room will be measured and logged in your service record. This is done to understand how environmental factors may be affecting your piano over time.
- Notes will be made of any other work which would benefit your piano. Although a Tune & Service allows time to make enormous improvements to a piano, there may still be tasks which would improve things further. If this is the case, I’ll be glad to advise you and provide estimates if you so wish.
Custom Tuning Procedures
If you would like your piano tuned to a pitch other than A440Hz, this can be facilitated in line with the pricing structure above (i.e., pitch changes within 6¢ to 40¢ are covered for £100, while larger changes will incur extra cost).
Examples of non-standard pitch may include historic or alternative concert pitches such as A442Hz or A444Hz, or Scientific Pitch at A432Hz.
starting from £100
If you would like your piano tuned to an unequal temperament, be it historical or of your own design, then this can be arranged. Due to the rarer nature of such tunings, I request some time to discuss the scale structure with you prior to commencing work. That said, the following unequal temperaments should be fairly straightforward to accommodate:
- ¼ Comma Meantone
- Bach/Lehman
- Broadwood’s Best
- Kellner
- Kirnberger III
- Thomas Young’s
- Valotti
- Werkmeister III
starting from £100
If you’re seeking a deliberate “honky-tonk” sound (à la Keith Emerson) or other effect from your piano, it is possible to deliver a variety of different sounds in a manageable and recoverable way through controlled detuning. Such effects can range from a subtle ‘waviness’ to a rich and heavy, chorus-like sound. Your piano should be tuned conventionally first and then detuned; this ensures a consistency of detuning which will still work well with other instruments.
Please note: A separate retuning charge will apply should you require the piano returned to standard pitch afterwards.
