People who love the piano. People who have an obsession with sound. People who have the patience to concentrate on detailed work.

Tuning is the adjustment of the pitch of the sound produced by an instrument. It is also called tuning in English. Guitars, for example, can be tuned by the player himself by loosening or tightening the strings. Compared to this, pianos have a more complex sound mechanism, so they are usually tuned by an expert piano tuner. Pianos are also instruments that are susceptible to changes in temperature and humidity, so they are maintained in the best condition to produce the best sound. This is the job of the piano tuner. Tuning a piano is a difficult task that involves repeatedly hitting all 88 keys to check the sound, adjusting the tension of the more than 200 strings connected to the keys using special tools, and shaping the deformed parts of the parts that produce sound by hitting the strings. It requires not only the ability to distinguish between sounds and the concentration needed to do so, but also the skill and stamina to use a variety of specialized tools. In addition, when tuning pianos installed in concert halls, etc., it is sometimes necessary to make adjustments so that the tone is produced as requested by the pianist. In such cases, communication skills to understand the wishes of the pianist are also essential. In addition, they may also consult with the pianist about soundproofing and give advice on temperature and humidity control. A piano that has been painstakingly tuned produces a wonderful sound. That is the happiest moment for a piano tuner.

There are no special qualifications to become a piano tuner, and no educational background is required. If one wishes to learn tuning from music theory, he or she may study at a music college or vocational school with a tuning department. After graduation, it is likely that he or she will be employed by a piano manufacturer, piano sales company, or company engaged in piano tuning. In other cases, piano tuners learn tuning skills at a piano tuner training school directly operated by a piano manufacturer and then go on to work at a musical instrument factory, or work at a piano sales company and learn tuning in the repair and maintenance department. The path to employment varies, but there are many different types of jobs available to piano tuners. Some jobs involve visiting homes and public facilities where pianos are installed and tuning them, while others involve adjusting the sound of pianos being made in factories or repairing broken pianos brought into workshops. It is advisable to choose a school or company after considering what kind of tuner you want to become. Incidentally, when tuning a piano, there is a process of tuning one octave of the keyboard (the eight notes of the do-re-mi-fa-sola-sid) by playing the notes simultaneously. For this reason, some vocational schools and training institutes require applicants to "be able to reach one octave with ease. Those with small hands may have a hard time, but with hard work and ingenuity, they can overcome this difficulty.

There is no qualification to become a piano tuner, but there is a national qualification "Piano Tuning Technician" that certifies the skill and ability as a piano tuner. Only those who have passed the Piano Tuning Skills Test, an examination conducted by the Japan Piano Tuning Technicians Association, can call themselves a piano tuning technician. In addition, in order to join the Japan Piano Tuning Technicians Association, one must pass the Piano Tuning Skills Test and be approved by the association's board of directors. It is possible to work as a piano tuner without a piano tuning technician certification. However, in order to work as a piano tuner in the future, it will be easier to gain the trust of customers if you have obtained a certification and can call yourself a piano tuning technician on your business card or website. Especially if you aim to work as a freelance piano tuner, you should definitely acquire this qualification.

In a 2021 survey of elementary school children's lessons, swimming was the most common activity. Music classes, including piano, were fifth. Sales of electronic pianos are increasing, so it appears that there are a certain number of people who want to play a piano type instrument. However, sales of traditional acoustic pianos, which require tuning, are declining. In addition, many families with pianos do not tune them because their children have stopped piano lessons or for other reasons. What is troubling tuners is that such regular work is decreasing. One way to find new customers is to use the Internet. In addition to promoting themselves on their websites, they can register on sites where customers can evaluate their work. If you receive a favorable evaluation and get noticed there, it will lead to new work. To this end, it is necessary to improve your tuning skills and make an effort to do work that will please as many customers as possible.

It depends on the company you belong to and whether you are an employee or a freelancer. The average annual salary for employees ranges from 5.14 to 6.3 million yen. Piano tuning fees are usually around 15,000 yen for a grand piano and around 12,000 yen for a vertical upright piano.

Although holidays vary depending on how they work, they often take 4 to 6 days off per month. Sometimes they work on holidays for piano recitals and concerts.

Musical instrument manufacturers' factories, repair workshops, music stores, schools, concert halls, and homes with pianos.

It's a chart that shows at a glance the main routes to a career as a piano tuner!