A piano’s tuning stability is directly connected to the stability of the climate in which it lives. Relative humidity fluctuations will affect a tuning even more than fluctuations in temperature. The target humidity here in the South should be 50%, with an acceptable range of 45-60%. You will likely find it necessary to run a humidifier during the winter months to maintain the target humidity.

Other factors that can negatively affect tuning stability are:

1. Lots of use, especially by a heavy-handed player.

2. Piano placed in direct sunlight, causing the piano to heat up (especially black pianos).

3. Piano placed close to excessive moving air. It is much harder to maintain a consistent climate if there is excessive moving air such as air vents or big fans right next to the piano.

4. Long periods between tunings. A piano is under constant tension, even when it is not being used. This will cause the strings to gradually relax over time, and the pitch will drop. If the piano is not tuned at least every 2-3 years, the pitch will usually have dropped far enough that a pitch correction will be required to bring the piano back up to the desired pitch (usually A440), before a stable fine tuning can again be achieved.

A piano will usually remain reasonably close to pitch for 1-2 years. However, the piano will fluctuate somewhat throughout the seasons. If the pianist spends a lot of time at the piano and needs the tuning to be precise throughout the year, it may be necessary to have it freshly tuned in the late Fall, after the heat in the home has been running a couple weeks; and again in the late Spring, after summer humidity has set in.

Spring or Fall is generally the best time to have your piano tuned. However, if your piano has not been tuned in several years, it will likely need more than one tuning anyway in order to become fully stable again. In this case, I recommend having your piano tuned as soon as possible, and then we can discuss whether a second tuning might be put off until after the next seasonal change.

I have high respect for a number of other technicians in our Atlanta area. In fact, many of us frequently collaborate on jobs that may require specific skill sets, or need specific availability.

Here are a few things that I feel may set me apart from some other technicians:

1. I am a full service technician. In addition to tuning, I have been trained to maintain, repair, and even completely restore piano action parts. When I visit a client’s piano, I do more than “just tune”. I am always assessing how the action plays, how the piano sounds overall, and whether there may be ways to improve upon what is there. If there are minor adjustments to be made, I will take care of them as part of my service visit. If there is more extensive work needed, I will assess and make the client aware of what could be improved.

2. This is my full time profession. I am not dividing my time among other pursuits, and it is in my best interest to schedule and complete jobs in a timely manner. I pride myself on prompt and efficient communication.

3. I am a trained pianist: I have spent many hours at many different pianos, some of them among the best pianos in the world. I know how a piano should sound, and I know how it should feel to play. Not all pianos can sound or feel the same, but there are measures to be taken to help each piano reach its potential.

4. I am not a piano snob. While there certainly are many poorly made pianos that make disappointing instruments, I feel it is my job to do the best I can with the piano that is available. Every piano makes music that will lighten the soul of its owner. Simply put, if the client is happy with the piano they have, then I will gladly keep it in the best shape I can. Besides, I love a good challenge!

5. I enjoy working on old pianos. In addition to my in-home tuning services, I also do comprehensive piano restoration in my shop. Bringing an old instrument back to life is one of my favorite things to do!

6. I am continually learning. I have a personal goal to attend at least one new training every year that will help me to hone my craft and provide even more advanced services to my clients. I am also affiliated with the Piano Technician’s Guild, which is a powerful network of thousands of technicians—including some of the most esteemed technicians globally—giving me the opportunity to learn directly from these incredible artisans.

My home base is in Woodstock, GA. However, I regularly service the greater Atlanta area, including occasional trips as far East as Athens and Lake Oconee, as far South as Macon, as far West as Villa Rica, and as far north as the TN, NC, and SC state lines. Since I cover such a large area, be sure to get on my schedule with as much advance notice as possible.