How long does a piano tuning take?

A standard tuning takes around 90 minutes. Catch-up and vintage services can take longer because they need extra care and, often, a pitch raise before fine tuning.

How often should my piano be tuned?

Most manufacturers recommend tuning at least once a year. Regular maintenance protects your instrument and keeps it a joy to play. If yours hasn't been touched in 3+ years, our Catch-up Tuning is the right starting point.

Do you service older pianos?

Yes — vintage pianos (pre-1970) are a specialty. Please note we do not service the older Beale and player pianos.

What areas do you cover?

All of Sydney, Wollongong, the Illawarra, the Southern Highlands, the Central Coast and the Blue Mountains.

How do I pay for piano tuning?

Jema Pianos accepts cash and card. A receipt is emailed at the end of the appointment. If a discount has been applied, cash is preferred — it helps keep prices low by avoiding card and banking fees.

What Is Piano Regulation? Piano Action Regulation Explained

Regulation involves adjustment of the parts inside the piano that move. Whilst it is mainly adjusting the action, it also extends to keys, felts under the keys, and even adjustment of the pedals.

Does your piano need regulation?

If when you play, your piano feels is uneven, unsmooth, or just not responding the way you expect it to, it may require regulation. If the regulation is out, in some cases it can also cause hammers to "double strike", resulting in an awful sound that is quickly fixed by adjusting the regulation for that specific hammer.

Regulation can at times be small simple adjustments. In some cases it can be a much more comprehensive service. There is no "one service" that fits everyone. We need to assess each piano, and its needs, on a piano by piano basis.

Signs that a piano may need regulation

Possible symptoms include:

inconsistent touch from note to note
"lag", when you go to play a note and there is lag between pressing and the hammer moving.
keys that feel unusually shallow or deep
uneven key height
poor repetition
notes that fail to respond reliably at very soft dynamics
hammers that do not travel correctly
inconsistent checking (the way it feels after playing and holding a note)
damper or pedal adjustment problems

Why is piano regulation needed?

Pianos can be impacted by:

changes in humidity
use and wear
felts can compress over time

Regulation is needed to adjust to compensate for this.

What is adjusted during piano regulation?

Technicians often need to adjust:

key height and key dip
lost motion
hammer blow distance
let-off
checking (when you have played a note, and hold it)
hammer alignment and travel
damper operation
repetition and return of the action
piano pedals

Regulation does not replace repairs

Often regulation can be adjusting for the wear inside the piano. However, if the part has to be replaced due to age or excessive wear, then once the repairs are completed the action will need to be regulated to ensure it's set correctly. New parts will always require the regulation to be checked.

What are the benefits of piano regulation?

The way the piano feels when you play is a critical part of the piano. What we find is that if the piano's regulation is off, it can "trip up" musicians where they practise on one piano and then when going for piano exams, as they have been practising on a piano that has a different feel, it can impact on their performance.

Depending on the original condition of the instrument, the benefits of piano regulation can include:

a more even keyboard
more predictable touch
improved control when playing softly
more reliable repetition
better hammer and action movement
more consistent response between notes
improved damper and pedal operation
greater control over musical dynamics

If a piano's regulation is severely out, it is akin to driving a car with 4 flat tyres. It's not "impossible", however, you can quickly realise it's not enjoyable and can quickly lead people to quit.

How often should a piano be regulated?

There is no single answer for everyone. It will depend a lot on the piano's use and age. For home pianos, it is common for a couple of quick small adjustments to be done with a tuning, and it may be a more detailed regulation needed once every 10-20 years. Concert pianos, schools, teachers, music studios will see the pianos have more use, and demand. These pianos typically need more regulation. For concert pianos, as these pianos must be maintained in peak condition, some technicians will have packages to check and address tuning + voicing + assessed by a piano technician.

Can piano regulation improve an older piano?

Yes, it can make a substantial improvement. Many times we find older pianos that are severely behind on maintenance, and going over the regulation can help to bring these pianos back to life.

That said, older pianos may have more worn parts and components. In some instances it is better to focus on doing the repairs first before doing any regulation.

Can you regulate a piano yourself?

Minor adjustments can appear deceptively simple. The complexity is understanding the relationship between each part, and how one adjustment can impact another. A small adjustment in one section, can require multiple adjustments elsewhere. It is not something a beginner can immediately do.

It is not "just regulating", it is getting the right result for your piano. Regulation specs can vary from piano to piano, model to model. Trained professionals will typically regulate a sample of keys, maybe 4-5 keys, and test that configuration before continuing with the regulation of the entire piano. Each, and every change, even if its small requires checking for accuracy.

Checking backchecks are correct in a piano — Checking backchecks

Checking let off in a piano — Checking let off

Key leveling, and fixing uneven keys is a large part of regulation, however, I will cover that in more detail in another article. If you are unsure whether the problem is tuning, regulation, voicing or repair, send an email, or sms, and we're more than happy to discuss further. In most cases, its easiest to just book a tuning appointment, within the appointment we can assess the piano, provide you with expert advice, and a quote for maintenance.