About 1 ½ to 2 hours, sometimes longer depending on the condition of the piano and how long it has been since being tuned.

The base rate for tuning is $160 +tax. If the piano needs a pitch correction, (is more than 12 percent off of standard A440 pitch), it will be an extra $60. I accept cash, check, credit card and Venmo for payment.

Yes, Even if a piano hasn’t been tuned for over 20 years, it can be tuned in one sitting. It will most often require a pitch correction which will take some extra time and incur a $60 fee.

Yes, often at no charge when a tuning is scheduled. Most of the time it is a relatively easy fix, from a simple “easing of the keys”. to a quick action regulation such as adjusting the back check or changing the “lost motion” all of which take minutes. Sometimes it can be a more involved repair and will be billed at an hourly rate if over 10min ($120/hr)

Each piano key operates through a remarkably complex mechanism. A single key is connected to approximately 50 individual action parts that work together to produce one note. Across all 88 keys, a piano contains thousands of precision components, making regular maintenance and professional adjustment essential for smooth performance and reliable touch. Most of these components can be repaired. Some Examples: Sticky keys, broken strings, broken or warped keys, worn hammers, broken or warped hammer shanks, broken or misaligned springs, stuck jacks, broken bridal straps, action parts in need of lubrication, damper pedal adjustment and repair. Soft pedal adjustment and repair, Sostenuto pedal adjustment and repair. double strikes (bobbling hammers), clicks, rattles, buzzes, backcheck adjustment, blocking hammers, insufficient key-dip, stained or discolored key-tops, loose action center pins, loose tuning pins, to name a few. When repair of parts is not possible then replacement will be carried out if parts are available. I also do full piano reconditioning and regulation by appointment. Please see the services page of the website.

I use a hybrid method. I use the most sophisticated tuning software on the market which calculates the most harmonically accurate way to tune a piano dependent on the size and scale of the piano (all pianos are tuned differently due to string inharmonicity) after tuning a single string with the software I tune the unisons by ear as well as the final fine tuning. (there are most often three strings per key, so two out of three are tuned by ear)

String inharmonicity on a piano is the phenomenon where the overtones (partials) of a vibrating string are slightly sharper than the perfect harmonic multiples of the fundamental frequency, due mainly to the string’s stiffness. Piano strings are not perfectly flexible; they have stiffness from their diameter, tension, and length. This stiffness means the string doesn’t bend exactly at its theoretical nodes, so harmonics vibrate at frequencies a bit higher than normal multiples of the fundamental note. Because the harmonics are sharp, octaves must be “stretched” (tuned slightly wider than the pure 2:1 ratio) so that the upper note’s harmonics aligns with the lower note’s sharpened harmonics. Because this phenomenon is dependent on string thickness, tension and length, and each piano has different combinations of these variables; each piano needs to be tuned differently.

Voicing adjusts the tone by reshaping or needling the hammer felts to achieve a desired brightness or mellowness. It’s common after extensive use for the piano to sound too bright, or uneven due to the hammer felts becoming compacted, flat and hard. It can sound like wood hitting the string. Voicing restores the piano to it’s original tone.

The ideal humidity in the piano environment is between 40%-50% When the humidity is higher than that, the piano tuning will often go sharp due to the fact that the soundboard wood swells, pushes the bridge up which tightens the strings making them go sharp. If the humidity is too low, the reverse happens. Extreme conditions can lead to the soundboard and other components cracking or warping which can effect tone and playability. These problems can be addressed by using room humidifiers in the winter (or installed in the HVAC system) and keeping the space well air conditioned in the summer months. Keeping the doors and windows closed can also help minimize environmental humidity swings.

I am based in Hartland WI Some, but not all of the locations I service are: Hartland, Delafield, WI, Pewaukee, WI, Wales, WI, Waukesha, WI, Menomonee Falls, WI, Sussex, WI, Brookfield, WI, Elm Grove, WI, Dousman, WI, Genesee, WI, Merton, WI, Nashotah, WI, Chenequa, WI, North Lake, WI, Colgate, WI, Okauchee, WI, Oconomowoc, WI, Summit, WI, North Prairie, WI, Eagle, WI, Sullian, WI, Pipersville, WI, Ixonia, WI, Watertown, WI, Johnson Creek, WI, Helenville, WI, Richwood, WI, Lebanon, WI, Neosho, WI, Ashippun, WI, Mapleton, WI, and Hartford, WI, this includes all of Waukesha County as well as portions of Dodge County, Jefferson County, Milwaukee County and Washington County.