Piano
Technician
Alan is a highly sought after concert piano technician, rebuilder, and consultant with 15 years of experience guiding clients to the appropriate instrument and proper care of their instruments. He has prepared instruments at many venerable Washington DC venues such as: The Kennedy Center, Camp David, Studio Theatre, Arena Stage, Olney Theatre Center, National City Christian Church, The Church of the Epiphany, and SONOVA.
Pianos are a transcendental blend of machinery and artistry that must physically translate the imagination into the tangible.
It is not the job of the artist to understand why a hard hammer or a soft hammer makes a different tone and which is the best choice for a given instrument, but rather they must draw from the instrument the tones and feelings that are dreamed up in their imagination. Like a child learning to color, if one is only given 2 crayons then the imagination and the skill developed is severely limited compared to the possibilities offered by a box of 124 colors. Pianos are similar and usually they are the equivalent of a box of 124 where over half are missing! The piano technician is here to find as many of those missing colors as possible.
But not every pianist is trying to be Vladmir Horowitz or Pablo Picasso…
Drawing upon my experience as a professional pianist, teacher, and technician, my goal is to match the short and long term needs of a player to the the instrument they have and create the best value of service for them with the resources available.
Often times piano tuners simply show up, tune the piano, and leave with no inquiry as to how a client is happy or dissatisfied with their instrument. Part of every one of my service calls is an assessment of the instrument and a conversation with the owner about their experience playing. Solutions can be as simple as slightly adjusting the proximity of a piano to a wall or as deep as redesigning the geometry of an action to alleviate pain and fatigue while playing.
Whether aiding in the sale or purchase of a used instrument, turbocharging a concert grand, or bringing out the best possibilities in a practice upright, understanding my clients and creating the most effective and efficient path to fulfilling their needs is my fundamental intention.
Official Piano Technician for
Let me answer your questions
For any questions not addressed here, or to schedule a service, contact me below.
Service Areas
Within 1 hour driving from Washington DC including:
DC
NOVA
Annapolis
Baltimore
Areas further than one hour may require special scheduling and a travel fee
Pricing
Initial tuning and assessment for new clients: $260
Includes: Standard tuning and pitch adjustment if necessary, assessment of instrument/ room/environment, conversation with owner and development of short and long term service strategy, minor mechanical repairs.
- Standard tuning of a piano already under my care and in good condition: $220
- Pitch Raise/adjustment: $260
- Repairs/Regulation/Voicing: quotes to be given upon inspection or $150/hr
- Email/phone consultation for instrument sale or purchase, including video and photograph assessment: FREE up to 30 minutes, $50/hr after
- In person inspection and consultation for sale (no written appraisal) $150
- Custom Service contracts on a negotiated basis
- Concert tuning/prep inquire for quote
- Humidity System Installation: $750-$1200 depending upon piano size/type