How to tune a piano - Beginner’s Guide (free 1hr course)

The tools I used in this video:
thepianodoctor...
The Tuning App (PianoScope) (Apple only)
apps.apple.com...
one of my videos that you may find helpful
"how to become a professional piano tuner"
How to become a professional piano tuner
• How to become a profes...

[@gayanthasenaratne]

Never Knew It Takes that long to tune a piano, Definitely worth the money that piano tuners charge❤

[@thomashenden71]

Piano tuners must be very patient people is my albeit superficial but well meant opinion! 🙂 ♩ ♩ ♩

[@Joyfulkeysinstrumental-lu5ri]

Thanks for your wonderful videos! I appreciate you, I'm a piano technician started a month ago the first piano i tuned archer upright grand piano. It hadn't been tuned for 100 years took me 6 hours 30 minutes, first time from there i keep getting better and faster at tuning and by the 10th piano i tuned i could do it within 2 hours and 20 minutes you inspired me alot piano doctor keep up the good work

[@PianoDoctor]

That story resonates with a lot of piano tuners! That’s similar to how I started as well :)

[@lotto5883]

Respect for giving this out for free

[@pesquef]

Clear, straightforward, and brilliantly produced lecture! Thanks for sharing Mr. Jackson!

[@lasercat5938]

Thank you so much! you are the reason I want to start tuning pianos

[@PianoDoctor]

Wow! That means so much. it’s so hard to believe that I inspired someone I’ve technically never met… congratulations! Best of luck

[@lasercat5938]

@@PianoDoctor thank you!

[@darkdoom]

Thank you so much! I've been watching your videos for a while, and your content is inspiring and entertaining, but this one is also educational. I don't own a piano anymore, but I would have tried to tune it by myself if I had seen this video. I've always been curious about how to tune a piano. Thank you for this content ^^

[@iados]

Beautifully done. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@donaldaxel]

I love the wall behind the piano. I have been amateur tuner for 50 years, and watch this and your short videos in order to get information about the action. I seldom do pitch raise, and mostly I correct only a few tones/strings as soon as humidity has warped the soundboard. The sound of a super-well-tuned piano is much more beautiful than one "common" piano. I also am happy to have a pro to regulate the action, but much more is needed. Oh - NB! this video is from yesterday! Wow! You have quite some audience. ❤

[@azanseq]

OMG this was so good. My piano is too old and nobody wants to tune it so I learned myself, but now I dont't know how to "fix" the hammers. If you keep doing these videos I will watch them all. Many piano tuners act like they have a secret magic art, but I learned that this is not that complicated if you know how it works. Thank you!!!!

[@mariokirby-l8l]

Your channel has been very inspirational for me and i have already started repairing a piano myself so i can learn what you do.

[@illumino5874]

I'm very happy to be this early, I love your content so much, hope you the best

[@connor.chan.jazzman]

As someone who apprenticed under a piano technician but was unable to finish my training due to a health situation, this video is very informative, valuable, and inspiring. I might look into trying to find another job/apprenticeship pertaining to piano tech work.

[@PianoDoctor]

Awesome! That’s what I like to hear :)

[@Cjmoney140]

This really helped with my grand piano in my basement. I hope to see more instructional and helpful videos like this in the future!❤

[@K4Cubing]

This is the perfect video to come across my feed rn.

[@SirSilverTongue]

You play Golden Hour so well on the short videos about tuning the pianos. 🤩

[@doctorlemon7844]

saludos desde Argentina. You are the reason i take courage to tune my piano, by my self.

[@partimentieveryday]

Just moved mine literally yesterday and I’m gonna do this, thanks!

[@channelantoneon]

This is incredible! Thank you so much. I just finished reading “tuning, rebuilding, and servicing pianos.” I am not trying to be a career technician but I do work as a music teacher in a disfortunate neighborhood. This can help my ultimate goal of restoring their pianos!

[@PianoDoctor]

Amazing attitude! I love people like you. Best of luck :)

[@Scratc_h-z6k]

Thank you alot! I have been looking for a video like this.

[@boolos1]

Finally!! The video Ive been waiting for

[@zachbennett9134]

Studying to be a piano tech right now so this couldn’t have been more perfect timing

[@sparks3019]

Fantastic explanation. Thank you!

[@syroxfx]

great work!

[@errown]

Thank u' so much for sharing this kind of treasure info, keep it up Sir...

[@Machodave2020]

I'm glad you made this video. I got a piano that despitely needs tuning - I want to get a professional tuner, but they aren't cheap (I can't really afford one, although I am willing to save for it) and there aren't too many that I came across in Philly - so I just said I would rather tune it m self. I followed 1 video before but it didn't do a good job at explaining how to get a good tuning or what app to use. This video was about an hour so it was kinda long, but it had everything I needed, and even though I'm not a pianist per se, I am a musician (violinist of 10 years) and I can clearly hear the beeping even in the lower registers so I can totally do a decent amateur tuning. Granted, I still need a professional piano tech because the piano has other problems - no problems that are extremely serious but they are concerning and they probably need to be fixed as soon as possible - but if I can do 4 or 5 decent tunings, it might make the professional's job a little easier to tune it properly as it won't be horribly out off tune. As for the other problems, I'm just gonna have to deal with that once I get there, but hey, that's what you get for getting a free piano I suppose, I just dealt with it because I already committed to getting it and somehow by the grace of God, there doesn't seem to be many problems with it other than 3 or 4 sticky keys from what I can see. There could be more, but as I said, nothing really that major. However, I digress, thank you for making this video. God bless.

[@PianoDoctor]

Awesome! I made this video to help out people just like you :)

[@YoVariable]

Thanks for sharing this informational video with us, Piano Doctor! I'm going to practice my piano tuning on a piano that isn't in very good condition and is noticeably flat in some areas (around 100-150¢ flat, it needs a pitch raise). I don't want the strings to break, so I'll tune it to a lower reference pitch, maybe around A = 432 Hz or even lower. I might even tune it in a different temperament just to see how it sounds! It's not my main piano so it really doesn't matter.

[@NikolayBychkovRus]

I never played any musical instruments and thought that I do not have good hearing, but i hear beat:) thanks for the video.

[@smusicm]

Great video! I love seeing all these old piano tuners getting triggered 😂

[@HahnJames]

Wow! This was very in depth. I don't even own a piano and I watched the whole video. I kind of had this sense that if I didn't watch the whole thing, I'd be missing part of he story. My guitar teacher from long, long ago, taught me to tune my guitar using the same method that you described here, take the tune down low than nudge it above mo more than 2 cents than back it down to zero. Personally, I think that when I tune my guitar strings like that, it stays in tune longer. Tuning a 12 string is a bit more fun but, not nearly as laborious as tuning a piano Lol! Couple of questions. Is there a reason that you go from the middle and up then back to the middle and then down? Are the strings on a piano anchored to the sound board? Finally, when you work without your shoes on, have you ever dropped something on your foot/feet that just made you want to let out a really loud, 'Yeooow!"? Thanks for doing such great work and letting us tag along for the ride every now and then. It's obvious that you care very deeply about what you do.

[@NerfRangetestsmore]

I always hold the lever horizontal, because then you can use the leverage from the edge of the top of the piano.

[@lasercat5938]

This video couldn't come out on a better time

[@AmitysLament]

Pretty nice

[@ImD1trust]

Your content really inspires me. I want to learn how to do this but I don’t know how to practice. I don’t know where to look or even have the space to put a piano anywhere. Any tips?

[@Jeremiah-J0629]

Very useful video♥

[@williamwinerock3455]

I love your chanel so usefull so amazing I am so glad you make these videos

[@williamwinerock3455]

I have a small Question do diffrent types of pianos require diffrent tuning methods like does a spinet piano require a diffrent method of tuning than an old upright thanks.

[@quails001]

Thanks for the information on this video. Awesome job covering all the bases. Any chance maybe at some point you can tackle a pitch raise. I think that is something a lot of people struggle with, especially since its not tuning just getting the notes in the area of where they go

[@PianoDoctor]

There is a “pitch raise” feature on the pro version of piano scope. Doing a pitch raise is out of the scope of this channel, but for now, tuning the piano multiple times like normal will get the job done! (That’s essentially what a pitch raise is… it just speeds up the process a tiny bit… but there is also a lot more risk of breaking strings if you’re a beginner)

[@kaswit007]

Because of this video I will find piano tunning course

[@grave8590]

I watched that Veritasium video!

[@Joyfulkeysinstrumental-lu5ri]

It's so satisfying after tuning a piano! Dont you ever use the temperament mutting felt?

[@emilybooth4443]

thanks i always wanted to tune a piano :)

[@Ppltnd]

I don't know what i'm doing here, I dont even have a piano.

[@Ppltnd]

@@RenanRischiottomake sense

[@michal.3089]

Thank you❤

[@ajbean9345]

this wanna make me get an untuned piano and follow along

[@ChristianMoody-dg4kv]

thankspiano dr

[@abe_nuh]

yay

[@MissGimpsAlot]

🙌🙌🙏🙏

[@dogemaster9676]

nobody has commented this yet so it is my civic duty to request your next video be about how to tune a fish

[@PianoDoctor]

🫡

[@impastavoldemar_8409]

Can you tell me the name of the key for tuning a grand piano? TUNING Lever or maybe it has another name?

[@florisklijsen4081]

Tuner here, normally the instrument is just called a “tuning lever”. You should find it with that!

[@boyleiidea]

Hi, wonderful job! Do you have a recommended piano tuning app for android? Thank you so much! May the Lord Bless you!

[@PowerSerge]

Thank you! But I still would rather have a professional do it because I’m afraid that I may break something. I’m not gonna be able to learn from just a video.

[@PianoDoctor]

Fair enough! I definitely recommend hiring a professional 👍

[@michelohretall5686]

Amazing video! Just curious which partials I should listen to because my ears are naturally gravitating towards the the higher overtones when tuning unisons, (like 5ths and 3rds or double octaves). Is it better to listen to the lower partials?

[@PianoDoctor]

Good question! It can get a bit muddy sometimes, but when you tune unisons you should be tuning the “fundamental” partial.

[@jamesstinebaker1290]

Nice tips! I'm quickly approaching my 1000th tuning, and im curious of a couple things. Is there any reason you walk two mutes as opposed to using one mute for right/center string? Is there any benefit to tuning the center string first instead of the left? Lastly, I notice you dont check the entire trichord when you've finished your unison. I would expect this to cause some issues with phasing. No boomer gatekeeping here, just curious

[@PianoDoctor]

Great questions! And you’re very polite :) Since this is just a “beginner level” tuning. I try to do things as *simple as possible* I do things differently when I’m tuning a piano for a customer.

[@elijahhultz]

"Hey man, quick question: where do I go online to hire a piano tuner?"

[@PianoDoctor]

hey! good question. Honestly, the easiest way is just to google "piano tuners near me" most all piano tuners have their contact info there

[@xzzjuanxzz]

are there different sizes of the tuning lever? I have an old piano that some of the pins seem slightly bigger

[@florisklijsen4081]

Tuner here. Normally pianos have tuning pins with a width of 6.5mm. However, this may differ from piano to piano, especially older models could have a different size. If you suspect that your pins are larger, you should check with a sliding caliber.

[@deandreking6611]

Excellent video! Just curious instead of tuning unisons by ear for a beginner, would using the tuner to tune each string to the same frequency work?

[@PianoDoctor]

You can do that actually! It’s generally not recommended because you will get a better quality tuning if you train your ear to hear the beats, but if you just want to get it sounding decent, then that works! Hope that helps :)

[@Cddsr]

Great video! You might have mentioned this in the video but the piano scope app is not available on Android platform. Is there another tuning app that you recommend that is cross-platform?

[@quails001]

Pianometer is a great android app, kinda the same has the same options

[@jaceschlatter9036]

“Tuning pammer”

[@PianoDoctor]

Haha hi Jace… yeah, there are a few mess ups like that :)

[@K4Cubing]

Quick question: I was listening for beats on my piano (I can hear them decently well because I've studied this before) and I noticed that I can feel the vibration in the piano when I play, and the vibration feels more iand less intense on my out of tune notes. Is that in sync with the beating or am I hallucinating

[@HUMhumuluslupulus]

Question!! Whenever I use my piano the keys have to be pressed firmly for it to actually play, which makes it annoyingly loud. The dampener petal doesn't work on every key (it's an old piano) so I'm always worried about bothering my family with how loud it is. I know this is different from tuning but do you know if there's a way to fix this without replacing everything?

[@dmytrotsvyntarnyi799]

There is a good chance that it's due to something being not regulated properly in the piano action and/or the capstan screws are not regulated. A capstan screw is a small screw found at the very back of the key, typically with a hole in it. It presses against and moves the wippen, which moves the jack, which presses against and moves the hummer butt. You can try to tighten/loosen the capstan screw, either by hand, or by turning it by sticking a piece of wire into the hole, to the point where if the hammer hits the string and rebounds, it is caught and stopped by the backchecks about half-way to the strings. Tightening the screw creates more lost motion; loosening it reduces lost motion. Watch a few videos on capstan regulation to see how it works.

[@rekrapadept]

Anyone know if it's normal for the piano to be noticeably quieter after tuning ?

[@teddofeddo8725]

hey great video! im not sure if i missed you saying this but,if the piano goes out of tune again after playing it hard, what do i do?

[@taiteyard3567]

It could mean that specific tuning pins (or all of them) need replaced with thicker ones that won’t slip. It could also mean that you just need to be patient and meticulous by tuning and retuning so the strings eventually settle. You would need to hit the keys loudly during the tuning so they do their slippage while you’re tuning.

[@teddofeddo8725]

@@taiteyard3567 Thanks!!

[@kylec265]

Does a ratchet work?

[@jamesstinebaker1290]

NO

[@randypcole]

You recommend tuning the entire piano with an ETD? I've been tuning pianos probably longer than you've been alive and that's NOT how it's done. This really brings your abilities as a tuner into question.....as does attempting to teach others, with no experience whatsoever, via a KZbin video, to do a DIY tuning.

[@jamesstinebaker1290]

that's like, your opinion man. He's 20. I don't agree with everything in the video either, but it takes thousands of hours to be able to do an accurate aural tuning. It is true that a novice now has the ability to do passable work without this experience. This is a Samick console, not a concert grand. If you want to spend 3 hours counting beats on an inharmonious POS just for it to sound bad anyway, go ahead and do that. But give the kid a break, if anything be thankful he's generating interest in a dying profession. The anti-technology and gatekeeping are outdated takes.

[@randypcole]

@@jamesstinebaker1290 Not opinion ... it's FACT. Not to mention a needed pitch raise before the tuning which wasn't done.

[@smusicm]

Yeah I know professional tuners who tune for pro orchestras and for Steinway artists who use an ETD for the WHOLE piano. Just because this is not how you do it, doesn’t make him wrong! Great video and lesson! 👏👏👏

[@OldCanadianguy953]

Tune your own piano? More like ruin your own piano. There’s a good reason why it’s better to leave some things to qualified professionals.

[@macedonianetymology4069]

Buzzing at 49:35...