How to tune a piano by ear, by Steve Droy

[stevedroy]

A number of reasons, the main one being that the setting of the tuning pin so that it stays put, is the hardest skill to learn. There is 25 tons of strain accross the frame and the pin jerks around, it is very stiff and springy. Also the exact pitch of each string moves around throughout the duration of each note, so the needle of the machine flickers around as the note decays. there is also something called octave stretching, which is too complicated to explain. Sorry, it takes 3-5 yrs to learn

[TJHassis]

Excellent. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, and presenting it in a way easily understandable. Great information on techniques on using the piano tunning hammer. Much appreicated. The temperament piano, and the math will take some time. For now I would like to just be able to set the individual keys, and use your techniques to setting the pressing the note "hard" once at pitch. Thanks!

[dstarj1]

Thanks for that. Since my first upright, tuning has intrigued me. I think one must have a mentor to learn about the "tempered scale." I would love to tune pianos. On the questionaire from the Actors Studio... My favorate sound is a tuned piano and least fav is ...well you know. My first tuner seen my intrest and gave me an old tunning hammer and " he called," felts. My love for the instrument grew even more.

[niakaniaka486]

Excellent video, but if you don't mind there's something I don't understand so if I may ask: is it right to wiggle the wrench when tuning a string? I see you doing it and I've seen it several times but I've read that the right way is to make soft movements... I tried to tune one string of my piano but the pin seems quite hard to move so I didn't try wiggling to not break the pin nor the string (I'm concerned with the risks of tuning a string myself). Your response would be extremely useful

[freezazoid]

yeah... but what if I'm recording the piano with other instruments and I'm not in the key of A? So you're saying that when my synth player or guitarist is playing a C note... the piano isn't playing a C? So what's the point? Why not just tune a C to C and a G to G etc. For recording purposes this doesn't sound like a good way to tune.

[AZOOOOPPY]

Hi Steve, I usually call up a pro tuner to tune for me, but in my case, only about 8 strings are out of tune and dont match up with intervals. I am hesitant to touch my pins. I've read many articles and watched a lot of videos about "bending pins" but I dont know how much force or what to avoid doing to prevent the pins from bending. In articles, they say to avoid rough technique. I do trust your experience, but what you're doing looks rough. My piano is dear to me, I just dont want to hurt it.

[TheScriabin]

Very informative. I understand now the hearing ability a piano tuner needs is very different to having a good musical ear, in the sense it is normally used. I was keen to train as a tuner but was very disheartened by someone at Robert Morley's Pianos who said how difficult it was. Solid advice though as I don't think you can overestimate the amount of knowledge and skill required.

[stevedroy]

courses last 3 years, there is 1 in the uk at Newark College or you can come to India for 2 years and train with me. there is a shortage of trained tuners so it is a good thing to learn but you will not do it without a lot of hard work and time Thanks Steve

[TheScriabin]

@stevedroy Thanks for replying. Goodness, is there much tuning work out there in India?! It's encouraging to hear there is a demand for tuners. I am only 31 so have plenty of time to acquire the skills I'm sure.

[GeneralLuken]

@stevedroy I know it may sound weird, but we are living in the era of electronics. So theoretically even a deaf person that knows theory of music equipped with appropriate electronic tuner should be able to tune a piano based on its measurements after few days course so why is there a shortage of tuners?

[crabbit87]

@GeneralLuken I think its the authenticity of being able to do it without electronics.

[stevedroy]

You will probably make it worse. It is a 3 year training course to become a tuner. Medium star head, if you are only getting 1 but my advise would be not to touch a piano unless you are properly trained.

Steve

[BaltiSean]

Thanks for the wonderful explanation. I am going to attempt touching up the tuning on a friends neglected piano. Any recommendation as to the type/quality of tuning hammer? I figure I'll probably only ever use it to tune neglected pianos whose owners can't afford or don't care to have them properly tuned. Thanks!

[algorithmical]

This is by far the best explanation of equal temperment and overall piano tuning i've seen here on youtube. Its easy to tell when someone knows their stuff.

[Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for this interesting posting.

[stevedroy]

Thanks for the interest, funny how it seems to spark such strong interest. I have been tuning pianos for 25 years, so I do know what I talking about. Many thanks Steve

[MustangPowerXXX]

Thanks Steve. Very helpful and very pleasant video. The negative comments left were from some lowlifes just a bit jealous form your great performance and professional skills. Thank you and see you in Islington.

[stevedroy]

Sorry but there is no such thing as a DIY piano tuning course. It takes about 5 years to train. The only course is a 3 year diploma at Newark College. Then lots of practise

Thanks Steve

[evenshteven]

Hello Steve, wonderful video.

I am learning how to tune pianos and this is a very helpful introduction, thank you. Although, I really wish to learn more about the art. I want to learn the actual process of knowing how to pick out the right beats and waves between pitches and knowing what key to tune next - all the logistics of it pretty much.

Is there any material or text you recommend? Or any other recommendations for learning?

[kwixotic]

The Knight is one of the best made uprights ever made. Was glad to have visited the factory back in '79 when Alfie Knight might have still been around.

[Pianotec]

Nice video, you also can feel the pin acting thru the tuning hammer, in the end it can provide a longer lasting setting but it oblige to lean on the piano, tune standing or frankly on the right, and it takes about twice the time... Best regards. Isaac

[stevedroy]

you keep it at the same pitch, it is very important. Thanks for the interest.

[SonofBrunhilde]

Excellent video. Thank you. One question...when you set the first string to A440 or whatever note you're starting with, do you keep that note at that exact pitch? Or do you come back to it and adjust it along with every other note within the octave to obtain equal temperament throughout the octave range?

[Offshoreorganbuilder]

@SonofBrunhilde The first note, set to the meter or pitch fork, is the starting point for adjusting all the others and so is not altered again. The other 11 notes in the octave are effectively set to it. (In organ tuning, because the pipes go up and down in pitch, with temperature, we have one pipe - a 'pitch pipe' which is never altered, so it's easier to sing hymns in a cold church (lower pitch) than a warm one (higher pitch) though the organ should be in tune within itself.

[Prairiegirl247]

Very informative Steve! Thanks!

[TheRobloxHunter99]

Im just gonna call the piano tuner XD :D i

[stevedroy]

You obviously like the sound of an out of tune piano. pianos need tuning after 6-12 months, so unless you have found a way of changing the laws of physics then the pitch of you piano will have fallen considerably. Thanks for your interest. Steve

[stevedroy]

Hi, the problem is that unless you set the pin by going past and then back, the pin will slip very quickly after a few good hits. This pin setting is harder to learn that the listening part. No other instrument has anything like the 25 tonns of tension in a piano so comparisons are a bit pointless. Thanks for your interest. Steve

[sweetlikeADAM]

I find that taking the pin lower in pitch and then bringing it up to tune is more effective. I also find this more effective for all of the other stringed instruments I play.

[BBgunmaster67]

im glad our piano sounds good even after not being tuned in 15yrs.

[stevedroy]

Hi, yes I agree that a machine can be a great help to a tuner who can already tune by ear, at the end of the day it has got to be right whatever method you use. I do worry about tuners who only use the machine though. I have tuned whilst looking at a machine and still favour my ear especially for unisons and false strings in particular.

I also think my ear is slightly more accurate, perhaps I am deluding myself. Thanks for the comments. Steve

[mharbaugh]

@stevedroy I think you're right. The ear (ideally) will make musical considerations. There's been times were the best sounding interval wasn't necessarily the most mathematically precise one (although usually on a small piano). Inharmonicity and false beats are a huge pain...

[kwixotic]

The first eleven years in my career I was strictly by ear or aural.  I then supplemented it with the SAT and later the Verituner. IMHO, the combination yields the most optimal results because the ear can only hope to get as accurate as the machines do.

[ILuvBritLouTayTay]

Ok umm..

there's an untined, unplayed piano at my dad's apartment complex and I would LOVE it if I could tune it/play it, but the thing is, IDK how. Its ben sitting there for like 20 years, literally, and it costs way too much to have somebody come tune it.

I wanan play My Immortal by Evanescence on it but my keyboard just donest cut it. CAN U HELP PLEASE! ?

btw dunno if it makes a difference but its a baby grand.

...and we dont have the tool to tune it.

[ILuvBritLouTayTay]

Ok umm..

there's an untined, unplayed piano at my dad's apartment complex and I would LOVE it if I could tune it/play it, but the thing is, IDK how. Its ben sitting there for like 20 years, literally, and it costs way too much to have somebody come tune it.

I wanan play My Immortal by Evanescence on it but my keyboard just donest cut it. CAN U HELP PLEASE! ?

btw dunno if it makes a difference but its a baby grand.

[ILuvBritLouTayTay]

Ok umm..

there's an untined, unplayed piano at my dad's apartment complex and I would LOVE it if I could tune it/play it, but the thing is, IDK how. Its ben sitting there for like 20 years, literally, and it costs way too much to have somebody come tune it.

I wanan play My Immortal by Evanescence on it but my keyboard just donest cut it. CAN U HELP PLEASE! ?

[stevedroy]

Two little clips at either end of the top door Thx

[gtay80]

how did u toke off the cover?

[stevedroy]

Thanks for the interest. Having worked in the trade for 35 years I have tried every type of tuning lever on the market. I also have a Steinway lever with a selection of heads in my toolbox. It is possible to acheive first class results with the tools I use and I think it is unwise to get hooked on a particular method or system. I have seen many variations on the basic techniques over the years and at the end of the day if the job is done correctly that is all that matters. Many thanks Steve

[kfspiano]

But why are you using such a cheap, badly made tuning lever??? You would never be allowed to touch a Steinway with that kind of tuning hammer, it damages the tuning pins. Also, you don't need to jerk the pin up so high, which just means you have to bring it back down again, further damaging the pinblock. And get rid of that plastic mute, and use a proper rubber mute and felt temp strip!

[mathieuemi666]

Yep. Most important thing. Have a break after doing that. Listen to some music. Then get back.

The problem is your brain seem to gently "accept" wrong tuning and at the end it could seem good.

That's like when you play a not tempered piano / organ.

It's like an habit.

[stevedroy]

I use a Korg OT orchestral tuner, but just to check the pitch. You cant tune a piano with a tuning machine, it takes 5 years of training to tune by ear many thanks Steve

[guookai]

Which tuning machine that you used? A Germany tuner told me that use the Yamaha tuning machine only can get Yamaha sound. Which one is better?

...

[mathieuemi666]

@guookai I don't want to mock but this Germany tuner is an idiot. You can tune a piano with just a diapason, a digital piano, a guitar tuner, whatever...

[guookai]

Which tuning machine that you used? A Germany tuner told me that use the Yamaha tuning machine only can get Yamaha sound. Which one is better?

[soundiscomforting]

Superb video. Thanks alot for explaining :)

[PartScavenger]

Great info! I tuned my first piano with a frequency meter and oscilloscope, and though tuned "perfectly" it sounded terrible. Thank you for explaining why, I've always wondered.

[stevedroy]

35 to 55 % humidity is normal. make sure you change the water regularly

[TheBlueArcher]

You said to keep the piano away from damp places? Is it possible for a place to be too dry? How exactly does the humidity affect the workings of a piano? I live in Canada, and apparently have a chinese piano, and have been instructed to keep a small bucket of water INSIDE the piano beside the pedals.

Anyway, I love this video. I'm very interested in instrument tuning and microtones, so I appreciated your short history lesson =) as well.

[Mrphilharmonic]

@TheBlueArcher The best way to keep the humidity constant inside your piano is to use a thing called a "Dampp-chaser" ®. It stops notes sticking or getting loose, soundboards cracking and helps tuning stability considerably. The only drawback is it's expensive price, but if you are protecting an investment of several thousands, it's well worth it. I would NOT put any water INSIDE the piano. Keep a bowl right alongside or hang a humidifier on a radiator to stop it drying the air out.

[latraviata94]

interesting :)

[stevedroy]

turn the pin past where it is in tune and push it back to the right spot, this is called setting the pin.

[hussamasmar]

great video. I have been tunning my piano for the last few years using a chromatic simple tuner for the first octave then I do octaves for the rest. However, I am usually happy with the upper notes. Do you have any hints?

[Sevnfurdy]

@tomkemp4000 Rickman's from like 10 miles away from where this guy is

[jhonnytoogood]

very good ... but why not use a fork to determine pitch? C fork to E piano, compared to C to E on piano.

[ArkQueue]

Definitely not a DIY project

[737flyhigh]

Thanks For your exellent presentation .

[TenthDimensionString]

Thanks, very helpful video.

[stevedroy]

The octaves are tuned beatless. Thanks for your interest. Steve

[MrLazarovega]

Steve . I have found your video very interesting and useful. thank you for sharing. I have a question. When stretching the octaves (up) does the piano tuner set the upper note of the octave to sound of beat about 0 .7 beat per second sharp? or the piano tuner should tuned the octaves beat-less and that by it self end up stretching the octaves. Please correct me in this topic. thank you very much .

[stevedroy]

Correct, It usually takes 5 years of training to become a professional tuner and I would suggest getting a trusted local expert to look at the piano, thanks for your interest. Steve

[eschelar]

What an extremely informative video!

I'm not a piano tuner, but I was researching it a bit because some friends are having trouble with a piano of theirs. It's a lot more complicated than I imagined.

[BlutwaechterOdins]

Thank you for showing us how to tune a piano!

[stevedroy]

The video is called how to tune by ear, not how to turn a tuning pin. it is possible to pull down on a pin when you sit or stand, it is the skill of the tuner that counts. You are obviously brain washed in to the idea that you have to stand up. I have got at least a dozen techniques for setting a pin depending on the particular pin in question. Where did you train ? do you tune by ear , or use a machine ?. Thanks for your interest. Steve

[getintuneful]

Stand up to do it you lazy bugger: You are wrenching at the pins. Terrible technique.

[alohm2010]

awsome vid and also, this is random, but ur voice is awsome. sounds like professor snape =D

[KC5E]

Best explanation of "octave-stretching" I have ever heard. I wish I could have seen this video 25-years ago when I started tuning/repairing. Very nice.

[caladbolge]

hey steve i have an upright piano and i was wondering if u need muters to tune it

[romanfyngerz]

Awesome Job Steve!

[SweetSoundOfGrace]

oh, by the way, this is the best of all youtube video's about the subject, in my opinion... very well done.

[SweetSoundOfGrace]

question: have you ever had people ask if their piano could be tuned to 417 hertz instead of 440? it is said to be the original natural pitch that birds sing to and all the rest of creation is tuned to...

just wondering...

[MrJackanthony]

@SweetSoundOfGrace Im sure its possible:)

[kratanuva725]

@SweetSoundOfGrace I thought that the "natural" pitch was 432.

Besides, it dosen't matter unless you are only playing in the key of A. Or unless this naturality is passed onto the other notes by just intonation ratios, which only would matter if your piano was tuned in just intonation. And even if your piano was tuned to just intonation, you could only play in one key and have it be perfectley in tune.

[mrytb]

Well done.

[liteofmylife]

Steve, thanks much for posting this informative video. I recently retired from the Marine Corps, and I'm off and running to begin my new career in piano tuning.

I look forward to seeing your future postings on tuning!

-Mark

[stevedroy]

Very helpful