What to Expect During a Professional Tuning Visit

Published: 9/20/2026 5:11:13 AM   Clicked: 3

For many piano owners booking a tuning appointment for the first time, it isn't always clear what the visit actually involves, or what needs to be prepared beforehand. Knowing the process helps you work with the tuner more effectively and gauge whether the job has been done properly.

After arriving, a tuner usually starts by assessing the piano's overall condition — string tension, how the action responds, and the state of the cabinet and pedals — before deciding whether preliminary adjustments are needed. If a piano hasn't been tuned in a long time and pitch has drifted significantly, the tuner may work in two passes, a rough pass followed by fine tuning, to avoid shocking the strings with a sudden change in tension.

During the actual tuning, the tuner adjusts each string in small increments with a tuning lever, cross-checking pitch by ear and with an electronic tuner. The whole process typically takes one to two hours, and it helps to keep the room quiet and avoid switching air-conditioning on or off, or moving furniture, since both can throw off the tuner's judgement.