Piano Tuning in Mid-City Los Angeles and surrounding areas.
Call or text now to schedule an appointment. (323)868-2073 | Robert@rcpianotuning.com
About Me
I am a member of the Piano Technicians Guild and hold a Bachelor of Music degree from Brigham Young University. I am an Associate of the Cal Arts Piano Shop and I tune privately across Los Angeles.
As a lifelong pianist I know the satisfaction of sitting down and playing a well-tuned piano. As a piano technician, I am able to help you enjoy that same satisfaction as you spend time at your instrument.
Services
Tuning
Tuning your piano involves fine adjustment to the tension of the 230 strings of the instrument. Each piano will vary in how it is tuned based on the size of the instrument and due to the effects of inharmonicity in the physics of string vibrations. A good tuning will set the piano at its most sonorous state possible.
Whether you are a novice or a professional musician, your time at the piano is enhanced by playing an instrument that is in tune. You will create more beauty, and there is more joy in the experience of making music.
Regulation
Every piano needs regulation work as pianos—like most things in the universe—trend toward entropy over time.
Regulation of a piano puts all parts of the mechanism into optimal position and relation. A finely regulated piano is a pleasure for the pianist to play as there is a predictable, even response across the keyboard. The pianist experiences precise connection and control, and the pianist can now achieve the finest nuance in performance from the softest pianissimos to the most powerful fortissimos, with the fastest repetition possible.
Voicing
Over time, hammer felt becomes compressed and hardened from repeated blows against the strings. Eventually deep string cuts will form on the hammer crowns, creating a brighter and brighter tone in the piano. The compacted hammer felt can no longer give the player access to a full range of tone color.
We voice the piano in order to regulate tone. Voicing softens the hammer felt where needed. Reshaping hammers reduces the depth and length of the string cuts, improving tone. The goal is to arrive at a consistent tone across the keyboard, and to give the pianist access to the fullest spectrum of color possible.
Repair
You extend the life of your piano when you keep it in peak working order. And it is of course a lot more fun to play the piano when everything works. Sticking keys and malfunctioning pedals quickly kill the joy of making music. Ignoring a needed repair can create compounding problems for the piano.
Cleaning
Pianos have long lives, and over many years they accumulate dust and debris that both degrade the piano’s appearance and inhibit its performance. Accumulated dust can impede the functioning of the small moving parts in the action of the piano, and foreign objects inadvertently dropped into the instrument can also cause damage to small parts, and often create annoying buzzes. Cleaning below the strings on a grand piano can be tricky, and is a job best left to a professional to avoid accidentally damaging damper felts and other delicate parts. A thorough cleaning will improve both the piano’s functioning as well as its appearance, and should be done at least once in an instrument’s lifespan.
What People Are Saying
“I recently had the privilege of having Robert Cope work on my upright piano. From start to finish, the entire experience was professional and exceptional. He arrived promptly and was respectful and courteous. He checked every note and meticulously fine-tuned every component to ensure optimal sound and performance. He adjusted and carefully regulated the action mechanism on a few keys that needed more than just tuning. He also generously shared his knowledge and expertise, providing valuable insights into the maintenance and care of the piano, which will help me take better care of my instrument in the future. Thank you, Robert, for your exceptional service.”
— Aida G., Los Angeles
“Robert did an amazing job tuning my piano. My piano was in pretty bad shape--it was way out of tune and it had been many many years since anyone had given it any maintenance attention.
Robert was punctual and polite and professional and he did a great job tuning the piano. I may actually be moving soon, and I will 100% be calling him again to re-tune it once that happens.”
— Mike H., Los Angeles
“I've been playing for about 10 years and through that time about 6-7 different tuners have come through. Robert was recently out to tune the piano and I was quite impressed. Communication previous to the visit was prompt and clearly presented. He arrived exactly on time and was both pleasant and professional; sometimes you only get one or neither.
He spent a lot of time and was very thorough with the tuning and made sure I was happy with it before he left. Not the cheapest nor the most expensive, but most importantly, I felt I had gotten value for the price. Highly recommended.”