If your piano sounds off and this affects your enjoyment, my precision piano tuning is the first place to start. This service visit will make your piano sound clean, clear and resonant. This appointment includes:

1) Pitch measurements to create the most stable tuning for your piano

2) Full tuning of your pianos 230+ pins

3) Playing tests

4) Fine tuning adjustments

$225

Takes about 2 hours, but I allow 3 hours for first time appointments in case additional services and repairs are needed.

PLEASE NOTE: There may be a travel fee for appointments farther than a 45 minute drive from Strafford, VT. Please see the bottom of the page for more details.

OPTIONAL ADD ON: If you are hearing a harshness in the sound of your piano, your hammers would benefit greatly from Voicing. This service will notably increase the warmth, volume and depth of your piano. Voicing is the process of adjusting the felts on the hammers. Assessing whether to add this service can happen during your precision tuning appointment $75-150

If you are a frequent player, add voicing and cleaning to a precision tuning visit with this money saving bundle. After all these services are performed, your piano will sound clear, deep and full, and look like new on the outside.

This all usually takes around 4 hours.

$495

If your piano sounds off and your keystrokes are uneven or weak, step up to our Power Regulation. As a piano ages, the action (its internal engine) falls out of alignment and becomes insensitive and uneven. By regulating the action, your keys will play with greatly improved sensitivity, fluidity and uniformity.

Power Regulation involves the highly-technical process of adjusting a number of elements of the piano’s action evenly across all 88 keys. You will then be able to experience the dynamic range your piano can offer, from gently soft to vigorously responsive.

This full service includes a precision tuning before the regulation as well as a hammer voicing after. This all usually takes around 7 hours depending on the condition of the piano.

Regain your piano’s volume, feeling and control. $1295

As a dedicated piano player, you need your piano to be in top condition. Our Piano Spa Day offers our best technician work so your instrument sounds, looks and feels exceptional.

This service begins with fine hammer voicing and a luxurious cleaning. Needed basic repairs will be taken care of and followed by a concert precision tuning. Then your piano will be ready for a complete Power Regulation.

Voicing the hammers will be tailored to your specific wishes for warmth or brightness across different sections. This will bring out the best tone of your piano.

Then the entire piano will be cleaned, inside and outside with debris/dust/dirt removal and polishing .

Repairs are such services fixing issues such as stuck keys, buzzes, clicking sounds, and pedal issues. This includes most repairs short of major structural problems such as those call for an action rebuild.

Concert precision tuning will prepare your piano for performing and recording at greatly heightened levels of sensitivity.

Power Regulation is a highly technical service will return your instrument to its factory specifications with over 30 steps for improving the action across all 88 keys. Your piano will then have vastly improved touch, dynamics, evenness, and playability.

This comprehensive service usually takes around the 8-13 hours (a day to a day and half) depending on the condition of the piano.

Overall, the piano will have an incredible tone, a highly-responsive feel and excellent appearance. $1,795

If you are really not sure which level to select, you can just choose Level 1: Precision Tuning for the first visit. I can assess your piano for you during that appointment and can recommend additional services to perform during that visit or during a followup session AS NEEDED.

If your piano looks dusty inside and the tone is off, then save money and select Level 2: Tuning/ Voicing / Cleaning!

If your piano is not only out of tune, has a tone you are not in love with and plays unevenly, then do yourself a favor and select Level 3: Precision Tuning/ Voicing / Power Regulation.

If your piano sounds bad, needs a deep cleaning and plays unevenly and with creaks/rattles or buzzes — this is the perfect situation for Level 4: Piano Spa Day!

If the piano is being played year round, every 6 months is the best for piano health. If the piano has excellent humidity control or if it is only being played around a certain holiday, some piano owners may choose once a year. Serious pianists or institutions typically prefer every 3 months.

The seasonal changes of New England mean that the fine woods of many pianos are continually shifting, effecting string tension and thus requiring tuning and maintenance.

A piano is a masterful construction of wood, felt, leather and steel. Changes in humidity alter the wood elements and thus the string tension, throwing the piano out of tune. Keeping the humidity at about 42% is the best way to need less tuning and maintenance.

Installing a Piano Life Saver system is a very helpful way to get the most value of stability out of each tuning (see above in the PLAY MORE WORRY LESS section.)

A first-time tuning appointment takes around 3 hours. This allows me to thoroughly assess your piano, discuss it together then and provide it with the best and most appropriate tuning. This 3 hour window also allows some time to perform most discovered needed maintenance like repairs, hammer voicing and cleaning.

Payment happens upon completion of a piano servicing appointment. Checks written to “Emerson Gale Piano Service” are preferred. I can do Venmo as well.

We are happy to discuss a payment plans so you family can enjoy your piano again and pay for the work over time.

While I enjoy meeting clients and showing about their pianos in person, I do offer a remote feature for clients that would like the piano work to happen but aren't able to be there in person during the visit. I just need directions to the piano itself. I would assess the piano for 15-20 minutes myself and then ideally give the client a phone call and/or videochat (FaceTime or Zoom) to go through my observations of the piano ask and answer any questions, and then confirm the service items to be completed. I then usually have a call or videochat at the end of the service visit with the remote client so they can enjoy me playing their freshly primed instrument for them, I can answer any questions, and offer ongoing care advice. I leave a free small hygrometer so the piano owner can keep track of the humidity of the piano to get the most out of each tuning.

If the client is not available for the followup call at the end of the appointment, I record a video and send it. I sometimes have another call at a more convenient time for the client to connect about the piano after the service visit if they would like. After the work asked for by the client is complete and call or video received, I can be mailed a check for the invoice. This system has worked well when folks are off at work etc. when I am servicing their piano. Some folks are always remote when I service their pianos, but I usually end up meeting everyone down the road at a future tuning!

I will send reminders as the appointment draws closer. Please note that my cancellation policy is that I need at least 24 hours notice. If cancelling within 24 hours, 50% of the original fee for the selected services will be added to the rescheduled service visit invoice. Thank you for your understanding.

Please contact us directly at resonance.vermont@gmail or 802-291-4139 to modify your pre-existing booking.