National Application Center :: career details :: Keyboard Instrument Repairers and Tuners
Career Details :: Keyboard Instrument Repairers and Tuners
Description
Repair, adjust, refinish, and tune musical keyboard instruments.
Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.
Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.
Tasks
- Inspects and tests parts of pianos, pipe organs, accordions, and concertinas to determine defects, using hand tools, gauges, and electronic testing equipment.
- Repairs or replaces defective, broken, or worn parts, using hand tools, power tools, glue, and nails.
- Removes irregularities from tuning pins, strings, and hammers of piano, using wood block or filing tool.
- Adjusts lips, reeds, or toe hole of organ pipes, using hand tools, to regulate airflow and loudness of sound.
- Assembles and installs new pipe organs and pianos in buildings.
- Compares pitch of instruments with specified pitch of tuning tool to tune instrument.
- Adjusts alignment, string spacing, and striking point of hammers of piano, using wrench, burner, shims, and bushings.
- Makes wood replacement parts, using woodworking machines and hand tools.
- Mixes and measures glue.
- Adjusts felt hammers on piano to increase tonal mellowness or brilliance, using sanding paddle, lacquer, or needles.
- Disassembles and reassembles instruments and parts to tune and repair, using hand tools and power tools.
- Cleans instruments, using vacuum cleaner.
Related Careers
- Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers
- Hand and Portable Power Tool Repairers
- Home Appliance Installers
- Motorcycle Mechanics
- Percussion Instrument Repairers and Tuners
- Reed or Wind Instrument Repairers and Tuners
- Stringed Instrument Repairers and Tuners
Important Abilities
General Work Activities
- Repairing & Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, Material
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Getting Information Needed to Do the Job
- Judging Qualities of Things, Service, People
Important Skills
Frequent Work Context
- Indoors
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Importance of Being Sure All Is Done
- Provide a Service to Others
- Using Hands on Objects, Tools, Controls