Choosing a piano technician to tune and service your piano

Your piano and its pianists deserve the best. Here are a few quick recommendations to help you choose someone you can trust to care of your instrument.

Finding a piano technician in the Logan, Utah area

A recent example from a new customer

Several pianos I’ve worked on recently have prompted me to create this quick guide outlining what to look for in a piano technician. Each piano had recently been tuned and serviced by inexperienced piano tuners without proper training or basic piano repair knowledge. The pianos may have been tuned to a “passable” level, but much worse were the attempted repairs and adjustments that showed no sign of proper education and in some cases caused actual harm to the piano. More and more, I am called to save pianos that recently either received poor service, damage to the piano’s delicate parts, and lackluster tunings. There are a few other piano technicians in the Logan area that I would trust with my own pianos or with a piano of one of my clients, but there is also a growing list of ones that need more simply need more training before working professionally. I certainly wouldn't disparage them by name, but I do want to provide some advice to those looking for a piano technician they can build a relationship with and trust with their instrument long term.

Know who will be working on your piano

Training and credentials are void if the piano technician you hire sends someone else less experienced in their place. This is a common practice. While an employee, intern, or trainee might do an okay job with a basic tuning, do you really want to take that chance with your own piano? When hiring, ask who will be performing the service. Tuning a piano is only about half of a piano technician's job and where most of these beginners fall short is with repairs and adjustments. A lot can go wrong fast if a piano technician is inexperienced and guessing. For the record, if you hire me, you get me every time.

Aural Tuning Skills

Technology has provided piano technicians with time saving tools in the form of electronic tuning devices (ETDs). These are often dedicated pieces of hardware or smartphone applications. Using an ETD is not always a bad thing, but hiring a technician that has been properly trained to tune aurally (by ear) is advisable even if that technician employs the use of an ETD for some parts of the tuning process. A properly trained aural technician knows the proper tests to validate that every pitch is exactly where it needs to be, whether tuning fully aurally or with the aid of an ETD. Personally, I evaluate each piano and then make a judgment call based on experience to determine if the piano will have best results tuned with an ETD, aurally, or a combination of both. In almost all circumstances I favor the latter. In the end, I ensure that each note has been tested aurally to ensure its accuracy to the human ear. Technicians without extensive aural training and practice lack the ability to correct their tunings when ETD’s estimate pitches incorrectly.

Shop locally for a piano tuner

Pianos have as many as 15k+ parts and it’s common for little things to go wrong. Choosing a local technician ensures that after the tuning, if there is a problem like a sticking key, a broken string, or a pedal that needs adjustments, you can get quick service in between regular annual tuning appointments. As a life-long local of Cache Valley, my piano customers, many of whom have become great friends, can count on my services for many decades to come.

Price Because there can be a significant difference in quality, the most skilled piano technicians are generally in higher demand and may charge more for their services. The price difference between a low and high priced piano technician is usually not extreme and the few extra dollars you might pay over the course of a year are an investment in the care of your instrument. If selecting a piano technician based primarily on price, be sure to ask a lot of questions about their experience, training, and absolutely get referrals. Often those trying to save a few dollars end up paying twice when a properly trained technician has to be called to fix inadequate tunings and repairs. It's also helpful to know that technicians competing on low price often rush your tuning, skip repair and adjustment needs, and take tuning short-cuts that can leave a tuning unstable. If pressed, I can tune a piano in as little as 30-45 minutes, but I choose to always spend at least 1.5 hours on each piano to provide the best possible tuning and also whatever other adjustments I can make to the piano's moving parts to improve it's overall playability.

Referrals and Experience

Whether your piano is for young learners or for a professional pianist, its proper care is equally important. Before hiring a piano technician you don’t know, ask questions to find out more about their experience level, how long they have been servicing pianos, what ongoing training they receive, their ability to perform all piano related repairs, their ability to tune by ear, and request some referrals if needed to verify their qualifications.

Whether or not you select me to service your piano, I hope this helps give you some things to think about during your selection process. I’m humbled to have been trusted by thousands of customers in our area. I service pianos for many local churches, music teachers, businesses, Utah State University, K-12 schools, mortuaries, performance venues, and thousands of musically inclined families.

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If you’d like to schedule an appointment with me or ask a question, please call or text anytime:

Kirk Earl

Cache Valley Piano Tuning

435.770.3193