Summary
- £75 standard domestic tuning appointment (60-90 minutes) – if you don’t know what service you need, this is the best place to start!
- £120 pitch raise (where piano is at A437 or lower)
- £90 standard concert/gig tuning
- £30 plain (treble) string replacement (per string)
- £50 wound (bass) string replacement (per string)
Minor repairs (such as a couple of sticking keys or a squeaky pedal) are normally possible to complete within a standard appointment at no extra cost. Additional work, including any work on historical pianos (approximately pre-1850) is quoted for individually, based on £200 / £400 half/full day rate + materials.
A £5 discount is applicable once per appointment to S11/S10 postcodes.
A £10 discount is applicable once per appointment to schools/colleges, music students in further or higher education, home educating & SEND families, those in receipt of means tested benefits, and any appointments with two or more pianos. Local charities are welcome to enquire.
Discounts cannot be combined.
Scroll down for more detailed information on my services.
Domestic Piano Tuning
I charge £75 for a standard tuning appointment in the home. A standard tuning appointment takes 60-90 minutes and includes an assessment of your piano and any minor repairs or adjustment that can be completed in this time.
If your piano has fallen significantly flat of concert pitch (A437 or below) it may need a double tuning to bring it up to pitch. I charge £120 for a pitch raise. If your piano is more than a semitone flat, multiple pitch raises may be required; I will need to assess the piano to determine this.
Most modern pianos can be safely brought to concert pitch, but if your piano is old or in poor condition a pitch raise can carry risks, mainly of breaking strings; when I assess your piano I will discuss this with you so you can decide whether to proceed. For more information, see my article “Does My Piano Need To Be At Concert Pitch?“
Concert & Gig Piano Tuning
I charge £90 for a concert or gig tuning. This is any tuning for a live music event. The additional cost reflects the additional complexity and logistics surrounding live music work.
As with domestic tunings, minor repairs and regulation can usually be completed in the course of a tuning. If the piano requires extra work (for example, a pitch raise or regulatiom/servicing) please contact me to discuss.
For a concert tuning I require a minimum of 60 minutes with no musical or other intrusive background noise. Please ensure that you can provide this when booking me.
Piano Servicing, Regulation & Repairs
Minor repairs and adjustments (such as a squeaking pedal or a couple of sticking keys) are usually possible to complete within a standard tuning appointment.
If your piano requires further work, I price for this individually, as the time and materials involved varies from piano to piano. Assessment is always the first step, to get a full picture of the piano’s needs and consider the impact of any further work over a longer period of time. If your piano requires a type of work I do not offer, I will usually be able to recommend a colleague whose services would be more suitable.
As a guide, I work to a £200 half day rate or a £400 day rate. This does not include materials. The exception to this is replacement strings: per string, plain treble strings are £30 and wound bass strings are £50, inclusive of material costs. This includes a return visit to tune up the new string a few weeks later.
Some types of piano work I might recommend are:
Regulation: the process of making minute adjustments to the moving parts of the piano action, keys and pedals to make the instrument responsive to the pianist’s touch. Pianos are regulated when they are new, but over time, they drift out of regulation.
If you are unhappy with the feel and playability of your piano, having it regulated can make a big difference. Regulation can take anywhere from between 3 to 8 hours, depending on how much work is required.
A piano needs to be in good repair for regulation to be effective. Some small repairs can be made as part of the service, but if your piano needs extensive repairs, I will only recommend a regulation once these have been fixed.
Action refurbishment: A piano action is made up of thousands of moving parts. Many of these moving parts are covered in felt, cloth or leather to enable the piano to play silently. Older pianos start to show signs of wear as these soft materials degrade, and need to be replaced before the piano can be regulated. Hammers can often be “refaced” – filed carefully to remove grooves and maintain shape.
Toning & voicing: the process of adjusting a piano’s tone, by needling the hammers or sometimes by applying chemicals. Toning and voicing is a big topic, and something of a specialist sub-field within the piano trade. I offer basic toning and voicing services, and will recommend a colleague if your piano requires more specialist toning services.
Repairs: I offer minor piano repairs, such as broken keys or action parts. I do not offer major repairs such as a cracked bridge or soundboard.
Restoration: I do not offer full piano restorations. I recommend the services of Geoff Tinniswood (Worksop) or Forsyths (Manchester).
Other fees
Short-notice cancellations (less than 24 hours notice) are normally payable at the full tuning fee. Please note that this is not apply if the cancellation is due to illness or Covid-19.