Piano Tuning and Repair Course FAQ
If you do not find your question listed on the Frequently Asked Questions page, please feel free to call or email the school.
What is a Certified Piano Technician?
A Certified Piano Technician (CPT) is someone who has completed PTA’s Piano Tuning and Repair course and is properly trained in all aspects of running a day to day piano tuning and repair business. They have passed the PTA’s training requirements and are now certified to advertise using the PTA logo.
How long is the course?
The course is broken up into 14 lessons with quizzes at the end of each lesson. Theoretically, the student would do one lesson a week but we allow the student to move as fast as she or he would like. We suggest spending at least 8-10 hours on lessons 1-2 and at least 20-30 hours on each lesson after that. That being said students should plan to spend about 256-380 hours on the course. The course must be completed within 12 months of enrollment. Extensions are given only for extreme cases and are granted by our student coordinator Michael Stilwell CPT.
How Much is Tuition?
The course itself is $1500 and includes access to the the online learning material for 12 months as well as printable/downloadable PDFs of the material to keep for future reference. PTA sells three different tool kits that can be found here. You are not required to purchase tools from PTA to complete the course but the tools our staff have selected are used in the training material. The basic tool kit is $215, the intermediate kit is $430 and the upgraded tool kit is $550.
Group rates on tuition are available upon request. For more info please contact support@pianotechnicianacademy.com with the number of students you wish to enroll.
Which Tool Kit Should I Buy?
Again, you do NOT need to buy a tool kit from PTA to take our course. We simply have them as a convenience for our students. If you do choose to purchase your tools from PTA, you will have three options - the basic kit, the intermediate kit or the upgraded kit. If you don't plan on doing much regulating or too many repairs, the basic kit will suffice and get you through the course. If you plan on making tuning your full time job and would like to not only offer your tuning service but your technical services as well, we recommend getting the upgraded kit. Our tools are only sold in kit form but if you see a tool in the course material that you would like to purchase that is not included in the size of kit you purchased, you may do so directly from Schaff Piano Supply, PianoTek or any other supply house.
How much money does a piano tuner make?
A piano tuner’s income is based on his/her location and personal work ethic. An average piano tuning can range from $90-$180. A full time piano tuner will tune around 2-3 pianos a day and work about 5 days a week. Repair work is also a key part to the piano technicians’ job and most CPTs charge between $35-$50 an hour.
Do I have to know how to play the piano to be a piano tuner?
No. While knowing how to play the instrument is helpful, it is not required. Included in the course is a brief overview of the basic music theory every piano tuner needs to know
Do I need to own a piano to take the course?
You do not need to own a piano but it is critical that you have access to one. Many of the lessons include exercises that the student will be required to perform. We believe that to fully understand how to tune and repair pianos, the student needs to not only have the book knowledge but also have the hands on experience.
What do I get when I graduate?
After you pass all of the 14 lessons and the final exam with at least an 80%, you will become a Certified Piano Technician (CPT). You will receive an email with a PDF of the official Piano Technician Academy seal to use on your website or business cards as well as a hard copy of your diploma signed by your instructor in the mail (please allow a 1-2 weeks for this to arrive as they go out twice a month).
Will this course prepare me to take my RPT exams from the Piano Technicians Guild?
When building our course we designed it with the RPT exams in mind. We cover all the material needed to pass your RPT exams but studying and committing to learning the material is up to you as the student. We strongly recommend meeting with other RPTs in your area while or after taking our course to continue to prepare for the exams. No course will prepare you like one-on-one training by somebody who took the exam in the PTG chapter you are joining.
