Tag Archives: piano tuner

Announcement: Southern Piano Service (& Piano Tuning) 804-677-2416 (M-F 9-6)

kitten on pianoWelcome to Southern Piano Service, where we take care of your piano as if it were our own!

Please note: This is my welcome message, and it will stay right here for the foreseeable future. BUT… look right underneath this post for my newest blog posts about piano care and maintenance, and lots more. Or just keep reading… 😉

To get in touch, please TEXT me (or call) anytime from Monday to Friday between 9 and 6.

If you have a piano, no matter what kind of piano it is, and if you want a trusted expert to take care of it, you’ve come to the right place.

We at Southern Piano Service love pianos, and will be very happy to help you take care of your piano and keep it in top playing condition.

Check out the services below to see the range of what we do. And if you don’t find what you’re looking for, we STILL might do it. Just give us a call at 804-677-2416. Continue reading

Piano Holiday Season 2020

Piano holiday season 2020The piano holiday season 2020 is different from any that came before. What makes it different? Almost a year’s worth of the coronavirus, face masks and social distancing.

With all the restraints placed on us as far as going out is concerned, many people are focusing on things they can enjoy doing at home, and playing music is at the top of the list, certainly for music lovers. If you’ve been playing the piano for years, you know all the joy it can bring into your life. And if you have decided to start playing during the last year, you’ve discovered it as well.

The interesting thing is that most piano showrooms were closed since they were regarded as “non-essential” businesses. But that didn’t seem to hurt their business at all. In fact, business has boomed, as you can read in this article.

The benefits of having a piano at home

There are many benefits to having a piano at home. First you and your kids can play anytime you want. Now that we all are spending much more time at home than we usually would, that’s a big advantage.

Playing music also has many benefits, from bringing enjoyment to keeping our mood stable and our minds focused. Research has also shown that it helps with brain development, which helps kids do better in school, and keeps the rest of us sharp for many years to come.

Sharing piano holiday season 2020

Inviting lots of people over to a recital is a no-no right now. And recitals at school are no longer happening. But that doesn’t mean that we cannot share our piano holiday music in 2020.

We’ve all become accustomed to Zoom. Whether we’re using a tablet, a computer, or simply the phone, we can record and share anything we want, including our favorite piano music. And if you’re wondering what to play, take a look at some of my Christmas music suggestions.

Keeping that piano in tune

Did you remember to get your piano tuned the last few months? If not, it’s not too late to get it in great shape before Christmas, The best way to get on my schedule is by sending me a text at 804-677-2416, preferably Monday through Friday between 9 and 6. If you prefer to call, that works too, but texting is better since I can’t take calls while I’m working, but I can always check my texts.

A thoughtful gift… Piano gift certificates

If you have a friend with a piano, you can also send them a piano gift certificate. Just give me a call. If they haven’t tuned their piano yet, it will come in really handy. And if they have, the next tune-up will be coming up in late spring – and they’ll remember you fondly then.

So enjoy your piano and use it (along with zoom) to bring joy to your friends and family, close-by or far away. And if I can help you with anything during this unique piano holiday season 2020, such as tuning, repairs, or gift certificates, let me know. Just text me Monday through Friday between 9 and 6 at 804-677-2416.

Summer Piano Care Tips

summer piano careIt’s been mighty hot for months now. With that kind of heat and humidity, your piano needs special care. So I’ve written up some summer piano care tips to help you make sure your piano will continue to sound great.

As you know, I’m an expert piano tuner, and I tune pianos all over Central Virginia and the Greater Richmond Area. If you’re not sure your climate control is adequate for your piano, or whether the A/C vents are too close, I’ll be happy to check it out while I do a tuning, and make suggestions for how to remedy the situation.

Summer Piano Care Tips

What to look out for:

1) Consistent room temperature

It’s important to keep the temperature of your home (or at least the room where you keep your piano) relatively consistent all year long. Normal “room temperature” – in the low to mid 70s – is perfect.

2) Consistent humidity

Next, you should also be sure to keep the humidity levels steady throughout the year. This means Continue reading

Piano Tuning

Is your piano out of tune? You may wonder what to expect when you have a piano tuner come over in order to tune your piano.

What I do during a Piano Tuning call

Here’s what I do on a standard piano tuning call:

Before I start the tuning itself, I check all the keys repeatedly to make sure they are playing to the customer’s satisfaction. Many times a customer will inform me over the phone that there are sticking keys or strange buzzing noises coming from the piano. One of the most challenging and satisfying parts of being a piano tuner is the mystery of diagnosing and then correcting these issues.

Once the problems facing the piano have been addressed, I can then begin the actual piano tuning itself. Quite often the piano hasn’t been tuned in several years and is in need of pitch raising, (think tuning twice in one visit). Whatever the situation with the piano may be, I will always work with the customer to find the most appropriate and economical course of action to bring the instrument to its best potential.

And of course, all this means that I’ll be doing this work wherever you keep your piano, usually at your home. Which areas do I cover? I tune pianos in all of the following Central Virginia areas (in no particular order): Ashland, Mechanicsville, Sandston, Montpelier, Goochland, Hanover, Beaverdam, Doswell, Manakin-Sabot, Oilville, and more. Of course I also move pianos and restore them, and for those types of assignments, I often go well beyond my normal area.

Questions? Please call me to find out when I’ll be in your area and can take care of YOUR piano: 804-677-2416