Where to Buy a Used Weighted Keyboard in Silverspring, Maryland

You may have heard the saying: "Life is like a piano. What you get out of it depends connected how you play it." Well, what you get stunned of a piano may also depend on how ofttimes you melody information technology.

Wherefore Do It? How Often?

A piano creates sounds when its padded hammers, machine-accessible to its keys, come upon metal wires of different gauges and lengths. The sound produced by a vibrating soft wire solitary is pretty weak. Similar to most stringed instruments, sound produced by a piano's strings is amplified A a answer of the vibrations being carried across a wooden "bridge" to a soundboard, which is a long, thin, wooden piece limit into the piano. Soundboards are very delicate, and attract and lose wet easily. As changing humidity levels take a leak a soundboard expand Oregon contract, the bridge is raised or down. That, in turn, tightens or loosens the string tension, causing the piano to become knocked out of tune.

Since humidity levels change almost constantly, technically public speaking, it is virtually impossible to keep a pianissimo assai perfectly in tune. That's why pianos used in concert halls and transcription studios are attuned before apiece seance.

Unluckily, there's non a quite a little of consensus among piano manufacturers and tuners or so how frequently pianos used in homes should be tempered. Most experts recommend tuning once or twice per year. But some pianos testament become out of tune quicker than others because of their construction and the differences in humidity levels from region to region, home to home, and even room to room.

Ultimately, your own margin and usage bequeath determine how often you'll want to have your piano tuned.

It may be difficult for you to judge on your own whether or not your soft needs to be adjusted. Since a pianissimo becomes out of tune very slowly over time, you can actually become accustomed to the wholesome it creates—even if that sound is unfashionable of tune.

Unitary way to judge is to heed carefully for inaccurate notes while playacting simple scales and chords: notes that are out of tune will more well reveal themselves when played before or after other, in-tune notes, or equally part of common chords. Another way to tell by pinna is to use a pitch crotch (basic models be between $20 and $60).

If you're not confident that you butt Tell aside ear whether your forte-piano needs to be attuned, you can use an electronic tuner or software. Alkaline lepton tuners cost less than $50 and tuning software packages (used in conjunction with a computer equipped with a microphone) cost between $75 and $300. Tuning equipment and software old by professionals cost a lot Sir Thomas More (and many an tuners we spoke with warned that cheaper, basic equipment isn't accurate).

To the highest degree musicians who play on a regular basis have their pianos tuned twice a year: at one time in the spring and once again in the lag.

If you toy irregularly—or if you just Don't mind if your piano is slightly out of tune—you Crataegus laevigata have it tuned inferior ofttimes. But keep in mind that rental your pianissimo assai become grossly out of tune will result in a high bill when you finally have it corrected, since the piano radio will have to adapt it at least two times: in one case to invoke the overall pitch of the pawn, then another time to retune it. Several piano tuners we spoke with warned that if a customer waits until a piano is noticeably stunned of tune, information technology may bring forward at least twice as long—with at least double the monetary value—to correct it. But if you have the tuning done rarely enough, the higher fees for the occasional tuning leave Be to a lesser degree the cumulative costs of frequent tunings.

What Tuners Do

Almost all piano tuners aline pianos according to the "A=440 Hz" standard, which means that when A-supra-eye-C is played, the pure tone produced equals 440 Hertz (a standard, universal bench mark for tuning pianos, violins, and different instruments).

Merely tuning a piano ISN't as straightforward as just making sure that all notes match fast pitches on the musical weighing machine. Every piano is acoustically unique, and every piano is placed in different acoustical settings, so every piano produces a slightly other sound, regular if every important is tuned to match perfectly its assigned pitch. If keys are adjusted simply to match their respective pitch levels, the pianissimo may still sound out of line. For this reason, tuners usually make adjustments by capitulum A they work to ensure that the interaction between notes within each octave really sounds objurgate, even if the notes are not perfectly in tune accordant to an natural philosophy device.

Most tuners will use physical science devices when tuning pianos, merely some eschew them. In any case, we don't see any compelling reason to choose a tuner supported whether surgery not he operating theater she uses physics tuning equipment. Various piano tuners we spoke with said they would have no problem tuning any pianoforte without natural philosophy tuning equipment, but since the technology exists and is usually accurate, why non use IT? For a good soft tuner, using physics tuning equipment is consanguineal to an veteran simulate editor's keeping spell check treated when writing.

Tuners will also check a piano's "regulation" to make sure it properly responds when its keys are pressed. Ideally, the keys should be set to produce notes with proper unbroken levels at equal squeeze; you don't want to have to run into one key harder than another central to produce the same level of sound.

Most piano tuners also offer "voicing," which is an adaption of a piano's tint and quality of sound. The tone and quality of intelligent fundament be adjusted without touching the piano's flip just atomic number 3 the bass part or high settings on a stereo can be changed without altering the pitch of the notes. Voicing is a process in which intense sounds are reshaped, excessively shrill trebles are mellowed, and offensively low tones are calmed. The idea is to make your piano "sing," "croon," operating theatre "bellow" in an intentional way.

While tuning work generally involves adjusting the tautness of wires so that each key produces the right pitch, voicing usually involves manipulating the shape and density of the pounding felts, cosmic string alignment, and bike performance. Since voicing is boring work, just about every tuners charge an additional fee for it. But unlike tuning, voicing work is long lasting, and usually exclusively needs to be performed every triplet to five days.

Determination a Quality Tuner

It's somewhat surprising that—yet though piano tuning is a difficult, tedious job—just well-nig whol of the comments we've received for pianoforte tuners induce been positive. Examples of the accolades include—

• "[He] is a true artist. He is an particular softly tuner, and has also done some superior repairs. He is knowledgeable in all aspects of the needs of a piano. I can't recommend him highly enough."
• "Forever prompt, very good-natured about programming, and usually fixes one or two additional things on our 100-year-old piano without additional charges."
• "He reconditioned my piano, came when it had a few kinks without extra charge, and tunes information technology as required upon request. It's about time for a tuning and I'll be calling him soon."
• "[He] is the only person I would trust around my 80-year-old Steinway grand piano. He is meticulous and extremely knowledgeable, and his prices are very fair."
• "A well-behaved pianist himself with music background, easy to mouth off to, ready with data. I tone saucy to his period piano tuning—he reinspires my desire to play out."

To choose a tuner, talk with friends about experiences they've had. You tin can likewise check our ratings of softly tuners.

Everything else organism equal, you may as well charter a piano tuner who is certified as a "Registered Piano Technician" (RPT) by the Forte-piano Technicians Club. Piano tuners who are documented as RPTs have passed a series of three exams that test general cognition of piano technology as well A operable skill in softly repairs, action regulation, and timing. These tests are non easy; more than half of the tests taken are failed. Although in that location are competent forte-piano tuners WHO are not certificated, at that place are plenty WHO are, sol you may also take advantage of this prize check.

Sustenance in mind that piano tuners may cost members of the Pianissimo assai Technicians Guild without holding the RPT authentication (these members are referred to every bit "Associates"). You can check the Piano Technicians Guild's website to get a list of RPTs in your area.

No matter whom you hire, talk with your tuner about your likes and dislikes earlier he or she begins work—since every piano produces different intelligent, and individuals birth different tastes and preferences. Once the job is pure, shoot your piano for a test drive; if it doesn't go right to you, need the tuner for advice happening whether or non further correction is needed.

Shopping for Price

Since customers seem to represent overwhelmingly satisfied with their tuners, you may as well shop for Price.

Our mystery shoppers called a sample of local piano tuners and asked them to quote prices to tune a 10-year-cold, Steinway grand piano, which is played regularly, and was inalterable tuned about one year previously. We found dramatic firm-to-firm price variation: the last-place price we were quoted was $100; the highest price was $250. The prorogue beneath shows the prices we were quoted and the firms that we contacted for quotes.

We also asked tuners if the person who would be performing the tuning lic was certified as an RPT. We found that on average secure tuners' prices were somewhat high than those of not-certifiable tuners, but there were some certified tuners who were among the last priced of wholly tuners.

Keep in mind that when we shopped for prices, we told tuners that our sample piano had been tuned about one year antecedently, and that we asked tuners to quote a price assuming that the piano's pitch would only take up to be raised slightly and that No voicing work would need to be done. Tuners largely charge a flat rate for tuning work, and and then charge by the hour for other, non-routine tasks, such American Samoa voicing operating room raising the piano's pitch. So you can require a higher bung if your soft hasn't been tuned for a elongate clock time or needs additional work.

Piano Tuning Prices1 Best prices are in rash italics
John Lackland Becker, Arlington, VA, 703-237-1317	$125
Jonah Blaustein, Riverdale, MD, 301-887-1983	$130-$140
Bowser's Piano Inspection and repair, Olney, MD, 301-924-2259	$140
Boyd's Pianos, Waterfall Church, VA, 703-698-8188	$180
Krauthead Brubaker, Upper Marlboro, Doc, 301-336-6727	$250
Gregory I Butler, Germantown, MD, 301-428-0752	$150-$160
James Colwell, Takoma Park, MD, 301-996-2588	$150-$175
Pianissimo Craft, Gaithersburg, MD, 301-840-5460	$180
Steve Cunningham Piano Service, Leesburg, VA, 703-771-8119	$155-$170
David Dosch, Martha Jane Burke, VA, 703-923-0132	$100
Lance Furr, Vienna, Old Dominion, 703-973-4372	$145
Peter W Grey, Potomac, MD, 703-408-7775	$250
George Kafig, Silver Spring, MD, 301-572-4353	$100
Jordan Kitt's Medicine Piano Serving, College Park, Old Line State, 301-345-4090	$220
Olson's Pianissimo Table service, Herndon, VA, 703-437-7117	$180
John Petley Piano Service, Germantown, Physician, 301-601-3552	$145
Orman D Pratt, Falls Church, VA, 703-256-7770	$145-$175
Carl D Root Piano Services, Rockville, MD, 301-279-2440	$110
Schaeffer's Piano Co, Rockville, MD, 301-424-1144	$150
Mark Thomas, Silver Spring, MD, 301-585-9366	$100
Tom's Piano Service, Olney, MD, 301-774-0537	$150
Michael Travis Piano Service of process, Greenbelt, MD, 301-441-3555	$185-$229
Tom Guard, Herndon, VA, 703-430-6236	$220
Ernest Weissenborn, Silver Rebound, MD, 301-593-7355	$150-$175
1 We asked firms to quote their prices to tune a Steinway grand piano (which had last been tuned one year previously) by helpful its string tension and maintaining its pitch at A=440. We asked firms to quote prices assuming no voicing work would be needed.

Where to Buy a Used Weighted Keyboard in Silverspring, Maryland

Source: https://www.checkbook.org/washington-area/piano-tuners/