Piano tuning, can it be done by an amateur?

sgosden

So the girlfriends mum wants rid of their piano, which of course means giving up some space in my mancave/music room to accommodate it.

Problem is its tuning is gone, and now each note is vaguely flat, and I'm sure the moving process will put it even further out.

so the question (s) is (are): How easy is it to tune a Piano?

I can do guitar and bass by ear, but that's just 4 or 6 strings.

any notable apps that could help?

How much does the change of tension on each note affect the rest ect? 

am I best to just fork out to get a professional job done?

know any piano tuners in the south Oxfordshire are?

Cheers people

BahHumbug

Well I ain't no expert but my understanding is......

1. Get an appropriate sized widget for your tuning pegs.

2.  Start at a handy reference note, eg middle C.  Use a piece of cloth to damp two of the middle C tricord strings and tune the remaining string.

3.  Tune all the remaining C octaves, a single string on each.

4.  All the other notes are done by going through the cycle of 5ths.  Eg having established Cs, you are looking to tune all the Gs a relative 5th from the Cs.  But it has to be a slightly flattened 5th in order to achieve even temperament across the full range of the instrument.  I believe tuners do this by ear by listening for beating at a particular frequency.  Basically getting even temperament is where most of the skill lies.

5.  Having done a single string of all notes you then tune up the bicords and tricords.

Something like that.  Personally I'd get a man in.

BahHumbug

(Ducks and runs for cover)

stickyfiddle

BahHumbug said:

Well I ain't no expert but my understanding is......

1. Get an appropriate sized widget for your tuning pegs.

2.  Start at a handy reference note, eg middle C.  Use a piece of cloth to damp two of the middle C tricord strings and tune the remaining string.

3.  Tune all the remaining C octaves, a single string on each.

4.  All the other notes are done by going through the cycle of 5ths.  Eg having established Cs, you are looking to tune all the Gs a relative 5th from the Cs.  But it has to be a slightly flattened 5th in order to achieve even temperament across the full range of the instrument.  I believe tuners do this by ear by listening for beating at a particular frequency.  Basically getting even temperament is where most of the skill lies.

5.  Having done a single string of all notes you then tune up the bicords and tricords.

Something like that.  Personally I'd get a man in.

All of that, especially the bit about getting a man in!

octatonic

Forget trying to do it yourself.

You'll only make it worse.

sgosden

((Effort + time) / cost ) x likelyhood of me fluffing it up = get a man in

I'm going to be really disappointed if the bloke isn't a jazzy old guy with sunglasses and a black hat on

sgosden

what sort of cost should I be expecting?

John_A

£80-£100  And I would also say get a man in

hobbio

Get a man in!

It's possible to tweak the odd string yourself, but if the whole thing needs tuning then you really need a pro.

EricTheWeary

When I was a kid we used to have our piano tuned regularly by a blind chap. No one ever really played the bloody thing, I think it was more my mother's idea of a charitable act to keep him in employment. Must be some still out there.

hobbio

There are loads around, but some are deffo better than others. I know a really good one but I don't know if he'll travel to Oxfordshire.

John_A

@erictheweary - Where were you based as a child?  I was in the North East and the school used a blind piano tuner

BahHumbug

£80 to £100 seems a bit steep... I was quoted £40 recently.

BahHumbug

There's a guy based in Faringdon called David Martin. I haven't used his services but he's recommended by friends. davemartinpiano@hotmail.co.uk. Apparently the best way to contact him is by text message on 07773 148386.

gusman2x

You also need to be careful that the strings can take the extra tension if it's not been tuned for a long time. The one in our rehearsal room is a semi tone out as the tuner said that there was too great a risk to tune it up to concert pitch.

That could be bullshit though, maybe the guy was just shit.

John_A

A semitone out may need a couple of visits it's a lot to go in one session without risking undue stress, but the piano was designed to be tuned to concert pitch so should be OK structurally, cast iron is pretty strong stuff

John_A

BahHumbug said:

£80 to £100 seems a bit steep... I was quoted £40 recently.

Maybe, was just going off what a mate of mine used to pay, but that was for a Grand piano, an upright may be cheaper

EricTheWeary

John_A;1100753" said:

@erictheweary - Where were you based as a child?  I was in the North East and the school used a blind piano tuner

West Midlands. I think training up blind people to tune pianos was pretty common practice once upon a time.

not_the_dj

EricTheWeary said:

John_A;1100753" said:

@erictheweary - Where were you based as a child?  I was in the North East and the school used a blind piano tuner

West Midlands. I think training up blind people to tune pianos was pretty common practice once upon a time.

We had a blind guy come out to do ours when we lived in Stockport, then again when we'd moved to the midlands....and at my late Grandads in Basingstoke.

viz

Get a man or woman in. If you do it yourself, remember the number of beats you need between tempered 5ths changes depending on how high up the octave you go

Sassafras

sgosden said:

((Effort + time) / cost ) x likelyhood of me fluffing it up = get a man in

I'm going to be really disappointed if the bloke isn't a jazzy old guy with sunglasses and a black hat on

If you're expecting Ray Charles, forget it.