An Exciting New Course in Piano Technology!

***Featuring hours of DVD lectures and demonstrations!***

   The Butler School of Piano Technology is designed to give you the skills you need for a new career in the piano service business. It has been estimated that two thirds of all piano technicians learned their profession by taking a home-study course. Our school is designed to help you acquire the skills needed to tune and repair pianos.  We teach you to service both grand and vertical pianos, and maintain them at performance level.

The Piano Technicians Guild

   Our course is designed to help you pass the certification exams given by the The Piano Technicians Guild is a non-profit organization dedicated to the professional piano technician. Perhaps their most important function is to qualify technicians as. It assures quality piano service by requiring that a technician pass a rigorous set of examinations. The RPT credential shows that the technician is ready to handle normal piano service and repair. The Piano Technicians Guild have developed a set of standardized tests which help insure quality piano service. Although, the RPT exams do not currently test for the complete set of piano rebuilding skills, we offer a optional manual in rebuilding the grand piano.    

Additional Information

•Does one have to possess special talents to become a piano technician?  Many have thought, that you must have perfect pitch to tune pianos, or that you must know how to play the piano. Perfect pitch is not required to learn to tune pianos.

•Do you have to know how to play the piano? If you know how to play the piano, it is an advantage in that you're already familiar with musical intervals. However, if you don't play the piano, we teach you what you need to know. You're not in any way expected to know anything about music.

•  What is required for this work? You must have average intelligence, normal hearing and a willingness to learn. Some mechanical ability will be an advantage. You should be able to lift up to 40 pounds, which is the approximate weight of the heaviest piano action. Tuning is mechanical work. Some students learn tuning  faster than others. While working with tuning, you also will study regulation, voicing and repair. The estimated time to complete the course is 12 to 18 months.

•As with any trade or skill, having the proper tools is essential. Because you will learn by doing, a tuning lever, plus other specialized tools are supplied with the course. The value of the tools and parts make up a significant portion of your tuition fee.

•And even though you learn at home, you're never alone. You can be assured of getting all the help you need. When you have a question, we're just an e-mail away.

•Both men and women learn piano technology; young and old. And there is no forced retirement age.