Gary Wilson wrote, "What is the best course available or direction to
take for someone who is wanting to start a business tuning pianos?"

You do not tell us your age, but if you are young, all the better.
I tuned my first piano at age 12.

I suggest you do not use a school or course.  I have never been able
to employ any of their graduates without extensive correction of their
technique.  I have had to redo the work of so-called Registered Piano
Tuners, but not usually their tuning.

For an overall view of what is needed, buy and read Art Reblitz's book.
He reads MMD so he might tell you the best place to get it.  For player
work, get his player book, as well.  [See address below.]

For business savvy I suggest you take business administration courses
or get an MBA from your local university.

For the technical end and to flesh out what you read in the book,
I suggest you find the best piano tuner in your area.  Ask symphony
conductors, University music school deans, Episcopal Organist and
Choirmasters.  These are the people most likely to know the most about
music in your area.  Get several prospects this way.  Go visit them.

Go to those tuner(s) and ask them to teach you.  Do not expect to get
free training and do not expect to get any money for work you do for
him.  That work you are given is not actually you working for him, but
it is him running the risk of you really screwing up something and
causing him even more work.  How do you think I know that?? <Grin>

When I considered opening my vocational school I found that such
knowledge usually runs about $5000.00 per year.  You can offer to pay
him something or just offer to help around the shop or office while you
learn.  It would be best to learn restoration as well because you never
know what technical problems you will find out in the field when you
are tuning Aunt Maudies's piano that little Nell just inherited.

Often you will come up against an immovable wall.  There is a great
amount of secrecy because of perceived threat to the tuners livelihood.
However, the best tuners will be so busy they cannot get it all done
and will usually be delighted to have an assistant.  I personally can't
just go out and hire a piano technical assistant, I have to make my own.
Finding someone with an intense interest is what I am always interested
in.

It usually takes two to four years to learn restoration, but piano
tuning can be taught in just a few weeks if you get out and do it.
I can teach you to tune in about an hour but you must then tune about
150 to 200 pianos before you are any good.  It may sound strange, but
something just clicks at that point and your tunings just happen and
sound great when you are done.  Also you do not know how bad you
actually are for the first 100, usually.

I send students out to tune as many pianos as they can for free or
nearly free and then every so often I watch them do one in my shop.
There are always techniques to correct at those times.  This stage
is the great time to go to all the Baptist or Pentecostal or other
churches and offer to tune all the Sunday School room pianos for free.
Do not attempt the main church piano until you are better trained.

Good luck getting what you need to become the next generation of
tuners.

D. L. Bullock   the Piano World    St. Louis

 [ These two authoritative books by Art Reblitz have been recommended
 [ by MMD readers around the world.  The titles are
 [
 [   Piano Servicing, Tuning & Rebuilding, ISBN 0-911572-12-0
 [      or ISBN 1-879511-02-9
 [
 [   Player Piano Servicing & Rebuilding, ISBN 0-911572-41-4
 [
 [ Both books are available from the publisher, National Book Network
 [ of Lanham MD, and also via Amazon.com, bookstores and piano supply
 [ companies.
 [
 [ Thanks for the fine letter of encouragement, D.L. ;)  -- Robbie