Job Description, Daily Responsibilities, and Work Life
Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners
Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners repair percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments. May specialize in one area, such as piano tuning.
Table of Contents
Job Description
Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners repair percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments. May specialize in one area, such as piano tuning. They also play instruments to evaluate their sound quality and to locate any defects.
Other tasks include:
- Align pads and keys on reed or wind instruments.
- Adjust string tensions to tune instruments, using hand tools and electronic tuning devices.
- Reassemble instruments following repair, using hand tools and power tools and glue, hair, yarn, resin, or clamps, and lubricate instruments as necessary.
- Disassemble instruments and parts for repair and adjustment.
- Repair or replace musical instrument parts and components, such as strings, bridges, felts, and keys, using hand and power tools.
- Inspect instruments to locate defects, and to determine their value or the level of restoration required.
We asked Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.
67%
52%
67% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 52% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.
Typical Day At Work
On a daily basis, Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners align pads and keys on reed or wind instruments. They play instruments to evaluate their sound quality and to locate any defects.
A typical day for a Musical Instrument Repairer and Tuner will also include:
- Adjust string tensions to tune instruments, using hand tools and electronic tuning devices.
- Compare instrument pitches with tuning tool pitches to tune instruments.
- Adjust felt hammers on pianos to increase tonal mellowness or brilliance, using sanding paddles, lacquer, or needles.
- Repair or replace musical instrument parts and components, such as strings, bridges, felts, and keys, using hand and power tools.
- Polish instruments, using rags and polishing compounds, buffing wheels, or burnishing tools.
We asked some Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.
Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job? | 83% said yes | |
How important is it to work in a team in this job? | 7% said very important | |
Do you have group discussions everyday in this job? | 80% said yes | |
Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job? | 37% said yes | |
Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job? | 0% said yes | |
Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job? | 52% said yes |
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners also adjust felt hammers on pianos to increase tonal mellowness or brilliance, using sanding paddles, lacquer, or needles. They may also remove irregularities from tuning pins, strings, and hammers of pianos, using wood blocks or filing tools.
On a weekly to monthly basis, Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners Shape old parts and replacement parts to improve tone or intonation, using hand tools, lathes, or soldering irons. They might also Test tubes and pickups in electronic amplifier units, and solder parts and connections as necessary.
In addition, they Repair cracks in wood or metal instruments, using pinning wire, lathes, fillers, clamps, or soldering irons.
Although specific duties may vary, many of them Place rim hoops back onto drum shells to allow new drumheads to dry and become taut.
To some Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners, it is also their responsibility to File metal reeds until their pitches correspond with standard tuning bar pitches.
Working life
Standard 40 hour work week
Regular schedule like a 9 to 5
In a typical work week as a Musical Instrument Repairer and Tuner, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.
Is this right for me
The Builders and The Artists
People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..
They also like working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
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