Another reminder that I am working normal hours during the present lockdown. Please see previous blog post if you have any concerns about the legality of booking tradespeople at this time.
– Richard, Piano Tuner Sheffield
Category Archives: Piano Tuning
Happy New Year! (and why I’ve been late with reminders recently)
A happy new year to you all! I’m not a fan of the icy Sheffield weather in January, but 2021 already looks a promising year for piano tuning! I’m excited about the list of goals I have set myself for what I want to achieve this year. Many of them are modest goals related to the organisation of my business, but with 2020 being such a slow and disappointing year for piano tuners I’m excited to turn over a new leaf. This will be the year I get it all together and my business will be run as smoothly as it was from 2017 to 2019 (the golden years).
I’ve seen some beautiful pianos being sold over eBay recently, so I hope that’s a sign that more people are paying attention to the piano (and more people need their piano tuning!). Sales of classical music are on the rise and I see many younger people turning to the timeless masterpieces rather than repetitive modern music. Maybe the slower pace of life has improved their taste? Who knows?
One of the most pressing goals I have is the need to revamp this website. It has the same layout it had in 2014 and looks horribly dated. More care and attention needs to be paid to it, but I’d like a talented web designer to give it an overhaul and that’ll be expensive. Once I have the funds, I assure you it will be done.
My final belated apology is to anyone who booked me in 2019 and had to wait a while for their yearly reminder. During lockdowns I was hesitant to contact anyone as there was a high chance they’d postpone the booking. After the present disorder and tumult, I will be more prompt and punctual in my reminders – most people need them or they forget. Six months is preferable, but at least once a year is the minimum required for most pianists.
Robert Jenrick confirms booking a piano tuner is allowed under new lockdown rukes
Concerned about the legality of booking a piano tuner or other tradesperson while you have a little bit of time off? You shouldn’t be. Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State For Housing, Communities and Local Government has confirmed that booking tradespeople (plumbers, electricians and… yes, Sheffield piano tuners) is allowed under the new lockdown rules. What a relief.
I’m operating under regular hours in the Sheffield and South Yorkshire region. The only port of call I won’t be able to manage on my various journeys will be the Scarborough and North Yorkshire piano tuning base I have developed since 2015… at least for another two weeks. It’s more ethically agreeable to wait until I have a larger number of enquires from that region to reduce the number of visitations in the current climate.
– Richard, Piano Tuner Sheffield.
How is the Sheffield piano tuner dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic?
Many people are asking how the Sheffield piano tuner is coping with the pandemic and what his available hours are for piano tuning.
Business hours are back to how they were during the lockdown, but he is taking more precautions to avoid catching the virus and potentially spreading it to others (being particularly mindful of the elderly occupants at his Sheffield residence). Here are a few steps he is undertaking to ensure everyone stays safe:
- Before the piano tuning , he will politely ask the customer to clean the keys (rub in vertical motions to prevent dirt getting down the sides) with an antibacterial wipe.
- He will take care to maintain social distancing during every visit.
- Bookings are arranged geographically, so that one day will be for Sheffield piano tuning, one for Leeds, one for Hull, etc (piano tuning in 2020 requires wide travel)
- For customers who are particularly anxious, masks are kept in the car to be worn on request.
These steps will be rigorously followed for the foreseeable future. He is very appreciative of anyone who books a piano tuning during this difficult and uncertain time. If anything changes this website and blog will be updated immediately.
Can I tune my own piano?
Straight from the horses mouth… some wise words here:
It isn’t a job for the layperson I’m afraid – the art of setting the pins must be performed with masterly finesse if the piano is going to stay reasonably in tune for another six months. It took the Sheffield piano tuner many years of practice to become adroit at this and there’s still room for improvement – I’m sure there always will be.
He is right about electronic piano tuning apps as well, in the last ten years they have improved dramatically, although developing a good sense of equal temperament is also a must. When it comes to piano tuning, regulation and servicing – leave it to the professionals! The Sheffield Piano Tuner is always happy to help.
Special hours for Scarborough, Bridlington and Filey piano tuning
A brief window of opportunity for piano tuning in Scarborough and North Yorkshire next week. I shall be able to fit a Scarborough piano tuning in at either 8 PM on Friday the 21st in the evening, or 8 AM on Saturday morning. If you live nearer to Bridlington, a piano tuning on Saturday afternoon would be perfect. I am not in area as much currently as my work demands me to stay in the Sheffield and Leeds areas, so this could be your only chance before 2019!
Merry Christmas
Richard
Why do people think all Piano Tuner-Technicians are blind?
Why do people think piano tuners are blind? A question I often ask myself when I’m out and about in Sheffield, Doncaster or Rotherham.
After the First World War many men returned home blinded by mustard gas. Many retrained in piano tuning as a way to make an honest living. In those days pianos were much more commonplace – most front rooms possessed a parlour piano in the way most living rooms today contain a television or computer, so piano tuners were high in demand.
Even in more recent times the blind were encouraged to learn piano tuning from a young age because, sadly, their parents and teachers didn’t think they were able to do much else. The thinking was that their hearing would be more acute to make up for their lack of sight. Today our society has a different attitude towards disability and with the help of modern computer technology the blind are much less limited in their choice of occupation, so while I still know of several blind piano tuners, it isn’t the case nowadays that the majority of piano tuners are blind.
– Richard, Piano Tuner Sheffield.
New sister page: Piano Tuner Leeds
I now have a sister website providing details for piano tuning customers in Leeds and Bradford: Richard Lidster Piano Tuner Leeds
It contains some duplication but also information more relevant to piano owners in West Yorkshire. I am currently targeting customers in the area in hope of expanding my work, so please direct any piano-owning friends or relatives to my new website. Introductory offers also apply!
– Richard, Piano Tuner Sheffield.
Autumn deals and discounts
For regular customers my current introductory offer still stands – £40 for a first piano tuning in Sheffield, £45 for a first piano tuning outside of Sheffield. However, I now offer several new deals which begin from now until the 1st of December. For schools, universities and churches I only charge £30 per piano tuning, and will perform 5 piano tunings for £100 if all the pianos are in the same premises and all the piano tuning work is booked on the same day (piano repair fees may apply). While this is far below the average rate for a piano tuning in the UK, my reason for offering this deal is to reach out to more customers and expand my business through word of mouth.
Please contact me for further questions about deals, discounts or packages:
Email: richard@pianotunersheffield.co.uk
Phone: 0754 266 7040
Calling Yorkshire Piano Owners
For the last few months I’ve made a concerted effort to expand my business to other parts of Yorkshire and Derbyshire. While most of my piano tuning work in the past has been based around Sheffield, South Yorkshire and Derbyshire, I have started making more trips to other towns and cities, doing a huge amount of promotion in Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Dewsbury, York, Harrogate, Hull, Bridlington, Whitby and Scarborough. If you or anyone you know is in search of a piano tuner, I am currently targeting the following towns:
- Rotherham
- Doncaster
- Barnsley
- Chesterfield
- Derby
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Manchester
- Rochdale
- Huddersfield
- Halifax
- Bradford
- Wakefield
- Pontefract
- Leeds
- Batley
- Wakefield
- Bradford
- Keighley
- Scunthorpe
- Grimsby
- Selby
- Goole
- Hull
- Hornsea
- Driffield
- York
- Harrogate
- Thirsk
- Northallerton
- Richmond
- Scarborough
- Whitby
- Middlesborough
If you or anyone you know live in one of these areas, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Travel is not an issue for me, I have my own transport and am happy to make a long visit for piano tuning (although for the foreseeable future there will be an extra £5 charge for fuel costs if I have to make a journey outside Sheffield). Although I live in still live in Sheffield, much of my social life and piano tuning now takes place in North and West Yorkshire.
Richard, Piano Tuner Sheffield.