Question 1

How often should your piano/grand piano be tuned?

Accepted Answer

I recommend having both pianos and grand pianos tuned at least once a year. This frequency depends, amongst other things, on the humidity of the space in which the piano is located, the quality of the piano itself and how new it is.
 
For example, if you own a fairly new piano it will have to get used to its new environment. As long as the instrument is not acclimatised, the strings and the wood need time to stabilise. It is therefore advisable to tune the piano three or four times during the first year.

Question 2

Is a piano or grand piano tuned by ear or with the help of a tuning computer?

Accepted Answer

My preference is for traditional tuning, by ear. 
It is customary to tune the A note at 440 Hz. This might differ if your piano was not tuned for a long period of time, or if you request a different pitch. Changing the pitch might be necessary when playing together with other instruments or to obtain a historical tuning.
Sometimes when the pitch of a piano needs to be tuned extremely high, due to the whole piano being too low pitched, it might be useful to start the tuning process using a tuning device. In these scenarios several tunings might be necessary to achieve the desired pitch. I can give you more information about this at the first tuning.

Question 3

How long does the tuning take?

Accepted Answer

It takes me about an hour to tune a piano or grand piano. This depends on the state of the piano and how long ago it was last tuned.

Question 4

How does making an appointment work?

Accepted Answer

You can contact me to schedule the first appointment.
Following the first tuning, you will receive a message after an agreed-upon period of time. If you prefer to keep track of this yourself, that is of course also possible.

You will always receive a confirmation if and when the appointment is set in my calendar. If you have not received one, it is possible that I have not received your message. In this case, the best course of action is to call me or leave a voicemail.

Question 5

What happens if another issue arises during the tuning?

Accepted Answer

When an unexpected issue comes to light during tuning, it can in some cases be resolved immediately, after having agreed over any additional expenses.
If a greater problem comes to light which cannot be immediately solved, I can provide an estimate of the additional work and costs involved with the solution(s). 
 
For example, a string might suddenly break during the tuning. This may be the case when the string is old and stretched out. When tuning it to the correct pitch and the string can't bear the tension, it might break.
The replacement of a broken string and the price of the string are not included in the tuning fee.

Question 6

How does the payment work?

Accepted Answer

My preference is for payment to be made via bank transfer. After the tuning I will email you the invoice with a payment request attached, so that you can easily transfer the amount.
Of course it's also possible to pay in cash, if that has your preference.

Question 7

I have a historical piano (pianoforte/harpsichord/table piano), can it also be tuned?

Accepted Answer

Yes, I can also tune your historical instrument. Through my collaborations with piano-builder Gijs Wilderom and Museum Geelvinck (Sweelinck collection) I have ample experience tuning historical pianos.

Tuning