TUNING -"I don't play much" is not an excuse-
Tuning fee for either upright and grand piano is $155 ($170 for First-Time Client/Piano). What this includes is a tuning, general inspection of the piano, and often extra 30-40min spent on minor voicing or regulation, pretty much anything that catches my eyes that would be necessary to improve upon, or prevent future problems of, piano's performance. All of these work will take up an average of two to three hours.
If piano requires further work done, I will lay out all the price and options beforehand so that you can make the decision yourself.
Think of it as a routine check up for your piano, like going to a dentist. In other words, don't wait until it becomes a problem. Which leads to my most frequently asked question...
How often should I get my piano tuned?
Whether a piano goes through drastic climate change from storage space to a living room or big shift in string tension after getting a tuning for the first time in years, it will affect the shape of the soundboard and rest of the wooden parts in a piano, and that effect on tuning can last weeks or months. That’s why it’s necessary at times to get tuning done more often. (Most piano manufacturers recommend that you get your piano tuned twice a year.)
Everytime I finish a tuning I tell my customers when they should get their next tuning. Here's a little guideline..
If you: can't remember the last time you tuned your piano / are a serious pianist that plays multiple hours everyday/ are a piano teacher that invites your students to play your piano, get your piano tuned again within 3 months.
If you: haven't had your piano tuned regularly / just had your piano moved recently from a location with a different climate environment / play your piano heavily / regularly get your piano tuned but notice that your piano tends to go out of tune quickly (check out Voicing) / place your piano in an environment with harsh climate changes, get your piano tuned again within 6 months. (RECOMMENDED FOR MOST PIANOS AFTER MY FIRST VISIT)
If you: have been getting your piano tuned regularly (and properly) / don't play too often (by all means please do) / place your piano in an environment with controlled climate, get your piano tuned again within 9 months. If you meet ALL of these criteria, you might be one of the lucky ones who can wait 12 months.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Even if you don't play your piano, it will still go out of tune, and will require multiple tuning sessions to get it back in tune once it goes way off the map. What's worse is that while you slack off on routine check-up, piano could (and will) start having problems that would require expensive repair work in the future. If you don't know if you will be hanging onto the piano, keep up the routine check-up to maintain the value of the piano high in case you decide to sell it in the future.
