Make:

I literally cringed when I saw the tuner that was suggested! Now I'm not saying piano tuning is a black magic, but there are things that even many pro musicians don't know about piano tuning which might seem trivial, but it doesn't take a trained ear to tell when something wasn't done right.

I would recommend learning directly from a professional tuner, but make sure you request a member of the guild, as they are much more open and willing to teach techniques to amateurs. Members of some other organizations and unions are obligated to not discuss their techniques. I learned more with the guild tuner I watched and talked with than I had in the three years prior trying to read and learn on my own.

If you're starting with a bang up piano that needs desperate help, the guitar tuner will be fine, I guess. But if you're touching up an already tuned piano, it will do you no good. Tune any note besides A4 to that tuner and it will still be out of tune with the rest of the piano. For my touch up jobs I bought an electronic tuner that stretches the octaves and tunes each note exactly how a piano tuner would tune them if he was tuning by ear. It's the best way to start. I just think you will end up pretty frustrated if you try to tune using that tuner IMHO....

Reply to this comment