How to Tune a Piano

Co-authored by Michael Noble, PhD and Jennifer Mueller, JD

Last Updated: November 20, 2024 Approved

A piano is a delicate instrument that should be tuned at least once a year, preferably twice. At $100 or more per tuning, this cost can add up pretty quickly. ^{[1]
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Research source} If you're tempted to tune your piano yourself, keep in mind this is a task that requires immense time and effort (you're talking about tuning 200+ strings as opposed to the 6 strings of a guitar), a good ear, and a lot of patience.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Purchasing Tuning Tools

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1
Shop at online specialty shops. Piano tuning tools can be hard to find, and may not be available at retail locations where you would normally find musical instrument supplies.
- Large online retailers such as Amazon and eBay carry piano tuning tools, but the majority of these are low quality tools from no-name brands. You will have to do a little extra research if you want to make sure you're getting a quality product. Search for the name of the manufacturer, and read reviews carefully.
- Look for reputable online specialty shops that specialize in selling piano supplies to professional piano technicians. Low quality tools will make the job harder and can potentially damage the piano. ^{[2]
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2
Get a piano tuning lever. The piano tuning lever may also be called a hammer, wrench, or key. This is perhaps the most important tool in your piano tuning tool kit, so be prepared to spend a little more money to get one of quality. ^{[3]
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- Look for a model labeled "apprentice," "student," or "craftsman." These are professional-grade tools designed for beginners. You can usually find one for around $50. ^{[4]
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- Generally, price is an indicator of quality. Buying a tuning lever is not the time to shop for bargains. Get the best lever you can within your budget.
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3
Choose the right tip size. Tuning levers have different sized tips. A larger tip will grab the pin further down and feel looser, while a smaller tip will grab the pin higher. If you're not sure what size to get, choose a #2. It's industry-standard and will work on most pianos. ^{[5]
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- The smaller tip size, #1, is used on some European piano models. Some professional tuners prefer #1 for more control, but it's far easier to start with a #2.
- When tuning a restored piano whose tuning pins have been replaced with oversized pins, a tip #3 may be used.
4
Invest in a quality chromatic tuner. An electronic tuner provides a reference frequency for you so that you don't tune the note too sharp or too flat. You need a piano tuner, not a guitar tuner because guitar tuners won't be able to recognize or correctly tune all the notes on a piano. ^{[6]
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- A dedicated electronic piano tuning device like the Sanderson Accutuner will set you back anywhere between $500 and $1,600.
Several companies offer piano tuning software that may give you more control than a chromatic tuner. ^{[7]
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Research source} These programs typically retail for $300 or more, but you may be able to take advantage of a free trial before you purchase.

EXPERT TIP

Cuong Nguyen
Music Teacher
Cuong Nguyen is a Music Teacher and the Co-Owner of both OC Musica and the Huntington Beach School of Music. He has been teaching music for over 45 years and has extensive knowledge in music teaching pedagogy. He and his team of over 20 professional instructors specialize in teaching piano, voice, guitar, violin, brass, and woodwind instruments. Cuong is the 1984 winner of the Yoshiro Irino Memorial Prize in Composition. He received his Bachelor of Music with Honors from the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

Cuong Nguyen
Music Teacher

Invest in quality tuning tools. For tuning pianos, you'll need a tuning kit and an app like PianoMeter. Sure, you can find free trials of tuning apps, but to really dial in your piano's sound, invest in quality tools and pay for the full app. It's worth it for pro-level tuning.
6
Buy mutes. Buy a variety of mutes appropriate for different kinds of pianos. Narrow rubber wedge mutes with wire handles might work best for upright pianos, while wider felt wedge mutes might work better for grand pianos. Mutes that work well with lower strings may not fit at all on the higher, shorter strings of the treble side of the piano. ^{[8]
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- Mutes themselves are relatively inexpensive, typically only a few dollars apiece. Get some standard rubber mutes, a pair of plastic tweezer mutes for treble notes on an upright piano, and maybe a felt strip mute for tuning the "temperament" in the middle of the piano.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Tuning Your Piano

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1
Gather basic tools and remove the piano's external panels. To tune a piano, you will have to take it (partially) apart to get to the strings and tuning pins. Examine your piano and determine what screwdrivers or other tools you'll need to take it apart. ^{[9]
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- For a grand piano, simply prop open the lid and remove the music desk.
- For an upright piano, you will need to open the top first, then remove the front panel, which is usually attached on both sides with screws or latches. Remove the felt practice mute if there is one, and the key cover if it's in the way. ^{[10]
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- Expect the inside of the piano to be dusty. A feather duster or rag may come in handy.
- You also may want to grab a flashlight or other light source. Even in a bright room, it can be hard to see detail inside the piano.
2
Get familiar with the strings and pins. Before you start working on the piano, play it a little with the panels off. Pay attention to which strings go with which keys, and which tuning pins go to which strings, so you don't end up trying to tune the wrong string later on.
- It is helpful to have a decent understanding of music theory before you try to tune a piano. You should at least understand interval relations of notes like octaves and fifths, because you aren't going to tune each note to perfect pitch. Rather, you tune the notes to each other according to concepts called "stretch" and "inharmonicity".
3
Start with the A above middle C. The common tuning for most pianos is A440, meaning that the A4 is tuned so that sound waves vibrate at 440Hz. This is the standard concert pitch in most of the Western world, although European tuning is often slightly higher at 442Hz.
- A mid-treble note, such as middle A, typically has three strings per note. Mute two of the strings so that only the third can be heard. Tune that string until your chromatic tuner or app indicates that it is in tune. Then tune the other two strings to match that first string.
- The other strings are called the unisons . When tuning the unisons, do it by ear – don't tune the unisons using your software or chromatic tuner. ^{[11]
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4
Turn the pin to tune the string. Place your tuning lever on the top of the pin and make very slight movements to turn the pin. You only want the tiniest of movements or you could snap the string, so you may want to practice first so you have good control of your lever. ^{[12]
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- Remember the phrase "righty tighty, lefty loosey." If you turn the pin right (clockwise), you increase tension of the string to raise the pitch. Turning it left (counterclockwise) will lower the pitch.
- Avoid excessively wiggling or twisting the pin. If it becomes loose or damaged you'll need to call in a pro and have it repaired. Steady hands are important.
- Make a slight turn, check the pitch, then repeat. The string is in tune when its tone sounds "in sync" with the neighboring strings of that note, or when the indicator on your chromatic tuner or software program stabilizes to show that the note is in tune.
5
Set the pin. Once you've found the right pitch, you need to set the pin so it doesn't easily slip out of tune again. As you zero in on the pitch, tighten the pin with a slight turn clockwise to overshoot the pitch just a hair, then turn it even more slightly counterclockwise to loosen it back to the correct pitch. ^{[13]
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Research source} You may find it easier to tune with short controlled jerks on the tuning lever instead of slower smooth pulls. You can test whether a string is stable by playing the note loudly a few times to make the string jump and slide over the friction points between the singing length and the tuning pin. ^{[14]
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- It takes practice to get this delicate movement correct. Don't expect the first piano you tune to stay that way. After you've tuned several pianos (or tuned the same piano several times), you'll have a better feel for how to set the pin correctly.
6
Tune in octaves relative to the first note tuned. Once you have middle A, use middle A to tune lower A. Then use lower A to tune the note one fifth above, and so on. Move along the keyboard using these intervals until the entire piano is tuned.
- Unless you are working with a severely neglected piano that hasn't been tuned in years, you'll typically find that you don't have to tune all the notes. ^{[15]
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7
Check your progress by playing intervals. As you go, check the intervals and make sure they sound right. Octaves, fourths, and fifths should sound even and smooth, while thirds and sixths will have a flutter to the sound that gets faster as you move higher on the piano. If something sounds sharp or flat, you can go back and correct it before moving on.
- As you move through the notes, you're going to be tuning more and more of the notes by ear rather than relying on your software or your chromatic tuner. If you tune every note using your chromatic tuner, by the time you cycle back to the original note it will sound sharp.
- Tuning your piano by ear will get easier as you gain experience. If you plan to advertise yourself as a piano tuner, you must get lots of practice tuning before you try to do it for others.
8
Play the piano after you're done. Before you replace the panels, give the piano a quick play to make sure it sounds okay and all the notes have stayed in tune. Especially if this is your first time, you may find that you need to go back and do a little more work on it.
- Even for professional tuners, some pianos can take several days to tune correctly, especially if they haven't been tuned in quite some time or if they are played heavily. Patience is key if you want to tune a piano.

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How long should it take to tune a piano?

Michael Noble, PhD
Professional Pianist
Michael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Michael Noble, PhD

Professional Pianist

Expert Answer

It can take anywhere from an hour to 2 hours depending on how out of tune the piano is.

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How much does it cost to get a piano tuned?

Michael Noble, PhD
Professional Pianist
Michael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Michael Noble, PhD

Professional Pianist

Expert Answer

Typically, tunings cost $100-200. The amount may vary based on where you live and who you hire for the job, however.

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Can you tune a piano on your own?

Michael Noble, PhD
Professional Pianist
Michael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Michael Noble, PhD

Professional Pianist

Expert Answer

You can. However, it requires a high level of skill and knowledge. Unless you know what you’re doing, it’s preferable to higher a professional. To get an idea of how to tune your piano, you can check out this page on how to tune a piano by wikiHow: https://m.wikihow.com/Tune-a-Piano

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If you tune a neglected piano that hasn't been tuned in years, it may need to be retuned every few days until the tone stabilizes. ^{[16]
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Although you may succeed in tuning your piano yourself, you still may want to have a professional piano technician look at it once every few years.

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A professional tuner does more than just tune your piano. They will also service the felt on the hammers and adjust the action on the hammers and the keys. These services require additional tools and training.

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Warnings

Be very careful to always place your tuning lever on the correct tuning pin. You can easily break a piano string by turning the wrong pin. Broken strings can be repaired or replaced by a professional, but it will cost you extra money. ^{[17]
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How to Tune a Piano

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Purchasing Tuning Tools

Tuning Your Piano

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