Let's Talk About Your Piano

Twice a year is the standard recommendation for most home pianos — typically in spring and fall, after heating and cooling season changes have stabilized. Colorado's dry climate and altitude accelerate pitch drift, so some pianos — especially in homes with forced-air heat — benefit from more frequent service. New pianos may need tuning 3–4 times in their first year as new strings stretch and settle.

A standard tuning fine-adjusts each string to the correct pitch. A pitch raise is needed when a piano has drifted more than roughly 20 cents flat — often after more than a year without service. At that point, simply tuning note by note would cause earlier strings to slip as tension changes throughout the instrument. A pitch raise does a rough pass first to bring overall tension up, then a fine tuning follows. It's a two-pass process and costs more because of the extra time involved.

No — my work is focused exclusively on acoustic pianos. Digital and hybrid pianos have electronic components that require a different type of technician. If you're unsure whether your instrument is acoustic, feel free to email me a description or photo and I can point you in the right direction.

A standard tuning typically takes 60–90 minutes. A pitch raise adds another 30–45 minutes on top of that. If I'm combining a tuning with voicing, regulation work, or repairs, I'll give you a time estimate when we talk through what's needed.

Yes, almost certainly. Moving a piano exposes it to temperature and humidity changes, vibration, and sometimes significant jostling. It's best to let the piano settle in its new location for 2–4 weeks before tuning, so it has time to acclimate to the new environment before strings are set.

I'm based in Dacono and regularly serve Longmont, Boulder, Erie, Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Firestone, Frederick, Berthoud, and Windsor. I also travel to Denver for larger jobs or multiple pianos at one location. If you're unsure whether your address is in my range, just ask.