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Occupation AtlasMusical Instrument Repairers and Tuners

O*NET · 49-9063.00

Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners

Repair percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments. May specialize in one area, such as piano tuning.

Also called Accordion Repairer · Accordion Tuner · Band Instrument Repair Tech · Band Instrument Repair Technician (Band Instrument Repair Tech) · Band Instrument Repairer · Banjo Repairer · Bow Repairer · Brass and Wind Instrument Repairer
59 more

Brass Instrument Repair Tech · Brass Instrument Repair Technician (Brass Instrument Repair Tech) · Fretted Instrument Repairer · Fretted String Instrument Repairer · Guitar Builder · Guitar Inspector · Guitar Repair Tech · Guitar Repair Technician (Guitar Repair Tech) · Guitar Repairer · Guitar Tech · Guitar Technician (Guitar Tech) · Harp Regulator · Instrument Builder · Instrument Repair Tech · Instrument Repair Technician (Instrument Repair Tech) · Keyboard Instrument Repairer · Keyboard Instrument Tuner · Luthier · Mandolin Repairer · Metal Reed Tuner · Musical Instrument Mechanic · Musical Instrument Repair Tech · Musical Instrument Repair Technician (Musical Instrument Repair Tech) · Organ Fixer · Organ Installer · Organ Pipe Voicer · Organ Preservationist · Organ Tuner · Percussion Instrument Repairer · Percussion Instrument Tuner · Piano Inspector · Piano Mechanic · Piano Regulator · Piano Tech · Piano Technician (Piano Tech) · Piano Tuner · Piccolo Mechanic · Pipe Organ Installer · Pipe Organ Mechanic · Pipe Organ Repairer · Pipe Organ Tech · Pipe Organ Technician (Pipe Organ Tech) · Pipe Organ Tuner · Player Piano Tech · Player Piano Technician (Player Piano Tech) · Reed or Wind Instrument Repairer · Reed or Wind Instrument Tuner · Registered Piano Tech · Registered Piano Technician (Registered Piano Tech) · Stringed Instrument Repairer · Stringed Instrument Tuner · Tone Regulator · Tuner · Violin Mechanic · Violin Repairer · Voicer · Wind Instrument Repairer · Woodwind Instrument Tech · Woodwind Instrument Technician (Woodwind Instrument Tech)

Job Zone 3 — Medium Preparation NeededHolland code RCA35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 3: Medium Preparation Needed

Medium preparation. Vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or an associate degree, with one to two years of training that combines experience and informal instruction.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

RCARealistic · Conventional · Artistic — the three strongest interests, in order

  • R Realistic6.39
  • C Conventional3.54
  • A Artistic3.46
  • I Investigative2.64
  • S Social1.58
  • E Enterprising1.00

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • Less than a High School Diploma18%
  • High School Diploma or the equivalent9%
  • Post-Secondary Certificate55%
  • Some College Courses5%
  • Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree5%
  • Bachelor's Degree9%
Related work experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (32%)
On-site or in-plant training
Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (23%)
On-the-job training
Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (41%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Quality Control Analysis3.93.6Level 4 looks like: Assess new parts for precision and accuracy to specifications
  • Repairing3.83.4Level 4 looks like: Replace a faulty hydraulic valve
  • Troubleshooting3.83.3Level 4 looks like: Identify the circuit causing an electrical system to fail
  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.63.6Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a loan application for degree of risk
  • Complex Problem Solving3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Lay out tools to complete a job
  • Service Orientation3.12.8Level 2 looks like: Ask customers if they would like a cup of coffee
  • Active Listeningbasic3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Take a customer's order
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Read step-by-step instructions for completing a form
  • Speakingbasic3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Greet tourists and explain tourist attractions
  • Time Management3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Keep a monthly calendar of appointments
  • Equipment Maintenance3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Add oil to an engine as indicated by a warning light
Show the other 23
  • Equipment Selection3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Select a tool to adjust a loose part on a bicycle
  • Operations Monitoring2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Monitor completion times while running a computer program
  • Monitoringbasic2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Proofread and correct a letter
  • Operation and Control2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Navigate the settings on an office printer to print on both sides of the paper
  • Systems Evaluation2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Determine why estimates for the time to complete a task are overly optimistic
  • Social Perceptiveness2.92.6Level 2 looks like: Notice that customers are angry because they have been waiting too long
  • Active Learningbasic2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Think about the implications of a news article for job opportunities
  • Writingbasic2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Write down a guest's order at a restaurant
  • Systems Analysis2.82.6Level 2 looks like: Determine how loss of a team member will affect the completion of a job
  • Persuasion2.42.5Level 2 looks like: Solicit donations for a charity
  • Learning Strategiesbasic2.42.4Level 2 looks like: Learn a different method of completing a task from a coworker
  • Instructing2.42.3Level 2 looks like: Instruct a new employee in the use of a timekeeping system
  • Coordination2.42.1Level 2 looks like: Schedule appointments for a medical clinic
  • Management of Material Resources2.31.9Level 2 looks like: Reserve a room for a management meeting
  • Negotiation2.11.9Level 2 looks like: Present justification to a manager for altering a work schedule
  • Mathematicsbasic2.01.9Level 2 looks like: Count the amount of change to be given to a customer
  • Management of Financial Resources2.01.6Level 2 looks like: Use available funds to buy office supplies and record the amount of the purchase
  • Management of Personnel Resources1.91.8Level 2 looks like: Encourage a coworker who is having difficulty finishing a project
  • Operations Analysis1.91.5Level 2 looks like: Select a printer for an office
  • Technology Design1.91.1Level 2 looks like: Adjust exercise equipment for use by a customer
  • Sciencebasic1.60.9
  • Installation1.50.9
  • Programming1.3—

Tasks

12 core · 12 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Adjust string tensions to tune instruments, using hand tools and electronic tuning devices.4.9
  2. Play instruments to evaluate their sound quality and to locate any defects.4.7
  3. Compare instrument pitches with tuning tool pitches to tune instruments.4.7
  4. Disassemble instruments and parts for repair and adjustment.4.6
  5. Repair or replace musical instrument parts and components, such as strings, bridges, felts, and keys, using hand and power tools.4.6
  6. Reassemble instruments following repair, using hand tools and power tools and glue, hair, yarn, resin, or clamps, and lubricate instruments as necessary.4.5
  7. Inspect instruments to locate defects, and to determine their value or the level of restoration required.4.3
  8. Shape old parts and replacement parts to improve tone or intonation, using hand tools, lathes, or soldering irons.4.1
  9. String instruments, and adjust trusses and bridges of instruments to obtain specified string tensions and heights.4.0
  10. Repair cracks in wood or metal instruments, using pinning wire, lathes, fillers, clamps, or soldering irons.3.9
  11. Polish instruments, using rags and polishing compounds, buffing wheels, or burnishing tools.3.8
  12. Mix and measure glue that will be used for instrument repair.3.7
Show the other 12
  1. Align pads and keys on reed or wind instruments.4.9
  2. Solder posts and parts to hold them in their proper places.4.8
  3. Adjust felt hammers on pianos to increase tonal mellowness or brilliance, using sanding paddles, lacquer, or needles.4.3
  4. Remove dents and burrs from metal instruments, using mallets and burnishing tools.4.3
  5. Remove irregularities from tuning pins, strings, and hammers of pianos, using wood blocks or filing tools.4.2
  6. Strike wood, fiberglass, or metal bars of instruments, and use tuned blocks, stroboscopes, or electronic tuners to evaluate tones made by instruments.4.0
  7. Make wood replacement parts, using woodworking machines and hand tools.3.4
  8. Refinish instruments to protect and decorate them, using hand tools, buffing tools, and varnish.3.1
  9. Assemble and install new pipe organs and pianos in buildings.2.8
  10. Deliver pianos to purchasers or to locations of their use.2.6
  11. Wash metal instruments in lacquer-stripping and cyanide solutions to remove lacquer and tarnish.2.4
  12. Refinish and polish piano cabinets or cases to prepare them for sale.2.3

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Customer and Personal Service4.34.5Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
  • Mechanical3.84.8Level 4 looks like: Replace a valve on a steam pipe
  • Fine Arts3.53.5Level 4 looks like: Play a minor part in a local theater play
  • English Language3.43.1Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Administration and Management2.93.1Level 4 looks like: Monitor progress of a project to ensure timely completion
  • Sales and Marketing2.94.0Level 4 looks like: Introduce clients to a new line of products
  • Engineering and Technology2.83.5Level 4 looks like: Design a custom office chair
  • Education and Training2.73.1Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
Show all 33
  • Physics2.72.7
  • Administrative2.63.1Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Economics and Accounting2.62.4Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Transportation2.62.4Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
  • Computers and Electronics2.53.3Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Design2.52.8
  • Telecommunications2.51.1Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Mathematics2.42.6
  • Production and Processing2.42.5Level 1 looks like: Put a computer back into its packing materials
  • Public Safety and Security2.42.1Level 1 looks like: Use a seatbelt
  • Chemistry2.32.8
  • Communications and Media2.22.1Level 1 looks like: Write a thank you note
  • Psychology2.22.5Level 1 looks like: Monitor several children on a playground
  • Building and Construction1.91.6Level 1 looks like: Choose the proper type of wood for adding a deck onto a house
  • Law and Government1.71.3Level 1 looks like: Describe the length of a U.S. presidential term
  • History and Archeology1.61.0Level 1 looks like: Take a class in US history
  • Personnel and Human Resources1.61.3Level 1 looks like: Fill out a medical claim form
  • Geography1.50.8Level 1 looks like: Know the capital of the United States
  • Sociology and Anthropology1.50.9Level 1 looks like: Identify two cultures in a story as being different
  • Biology1.40.6Level 1 looks like: Feed domestic animals
  • Foreign Language1.40.6Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Medicine and Dentistry1.3—
  • Therapy and Counseling1.2—
  • Philosophy and Theology1.1—
  • Food Production1.0—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Hearing Sensitivity4.44.9Level 4 looks like: Diagnose what's wrong with a car engine from its sound
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Thread a needle
  • Finger Dexterity4.04.5Level 4 looks like: Attach small dials to audio equipment on an assembly line
  • Manual Dexterity4.03.9Level 4 looks like: Pack oranges in crates as quickly as possible
  • Near Vision4.04.3Level 5 looks like: Read the fine print of a legal document
  • Auditory Attention3.83.8Level 4 looks like: Listen for your flight announcement at a busy airport
  • Control Precision3.84.1Level 4 looks like: Adjust farm tractor controls
  • Problem Sensitivity3.63.5Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
Show all 52
  • Visualization3.63.8Level 4 looks like: Follow a diagram to assemble a metal storage cabinet
  • Deductive Reasoning3.53.0Level 2 looks like: Know that a stalled car can coast downhill
  • Flexibility of Closure3.43.3Level 4 looks like: Look for a golf ball in tall grass
  • Inductive Reasoning3.43.3Level 4 looks like: Determine the prime suspect based on crime scene evidence
  • Selective Attention3.33.3Level 4 looks like: Watch security monitors for intruders throughout the night shift
  • Category Flexibility3.13.1Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Information Ordering3.13.1Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Far Vision3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Multilimb Coordination3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Row a boat
  • Oral Comprehension3.03.3Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Oral Expression3.03.3Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Speed of Closure3.03.0Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Written Comprehension3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Understand signs on the highway
  • Perceptual Speed2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Speech Recognition2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Recognize the voice of a coworker
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.93.0Level 4 looks like: Trace electrical circuits marked by various colored wires
  • Fluency of Ideas2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Name four different uses for a screwdriver
  • Speech Clarity2.82.9
  • Memorization2.62.4Level 1 looks like: Remember the number on your bus to be sure you get back on the right one
  • Originality2.62.8Level 2 looks like: Use a credit card to open a locked door
  • Time Sharing2.62.5Level 2 looks like: Listen to music while entering numbers into a spreadsheet
  • Written Expression2.62.6
  • Static Strength2.52.5Level 1 looks like: Push an empty shopping cart
  • Trunk Strength2.42.3Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Wrist-Finger Speed2.42.3Level 2 looks like: Use a screwdriver to twist in a screw
  • Depth Perception2.32.3Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Dynamic Strength2.31.8Level 2 looks like: Use pruning shears to trim a bush
  • Reaction Time2.32.1Level 2 looks like: Start to slow down the car when a traffic light turns yellow
  • Explosive Strength2.11.8Level 2 looks like: Hit a nail with a hammer
  • Extent Flexibility2.12.3Level 2 looks like: Reach to adjust the radio in a car
  • Rate Control2.11.9Level 1 looks like: Ride a bicycle alongside a jogger
  • Response Orientation2.12.0Level 2 looks like: When a doorbell and phone ring at the same time, quickly select which to answer first
  • Gross Body Coordination2.01.5Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Gross Body Equilibrium2.01.4Level 2 looks like: Stand on a ladder
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.01.8Level 1 looks like: Determine how much 20 oranges will cost when they are priced at 5 for 4 dollars
  • Number Facility2.02.0Level 1 looks like: Add 2 and 7
  • Sound Localization2.01.4Level 2 looks like: Listen to a sound system to determine which speaker is working
  • Stamina1.91.0Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.60.8
  • Glare Sensitivity1.50.5
  • Spatial Orientation1.50.6
  • Night Vision1.40.4
  • Peripheral Vision1.40.4
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.3—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.24.5Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Getting Information4.03.7Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Handling and Moving Objects3.74.9Level 4 looks like: Arrange books in a library
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People3.74.1Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
  • Thinking Creatively3.74.5Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.64.3Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events3.63.5Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work3.64.7Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
Show all 41
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials3.53.8Level 4 looks like: Inspect equipment in a chemical processing plant
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public3.53.8Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Scheduling Work and Activities3.53.3Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment3.34.0Level 4 looks like: Change the oil on a tractor
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge3.34.2Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information3.22.9
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.23.7Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
  • Performing General Physical Activities3.23.5Level 4 looks like: Paint the outside of a house
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization3.03.2Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources3.03.4Level 4 looks like: Work as a chef responsible for ordering food for the menu
  • Documenting/Recording Information2.92.8
  • Processing Information2.93.1Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Performing Administrative Activities2.83.2Level 4 looks like: Complete tax forms for a small business
  • Selling or Influencing Others2.83.1Level 4 looks like: Make a sales pitch to convince others to buy a product
  • Training and Teaching Others2.83.1Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
  • Controlling Machines and Processes2.73.5Level 4 looks like: Operate a drilling rig
  • Working with Computers2.72.5Level 1 looks like: Enter employee information into a database
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment2.62.1Level 1 looks like: Drive a car
  • Coaching and Developing Others2.52.6
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates2.52.4Level 1 looks like: Write brief messages to others
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others2.52.6
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies2.42.2Level 1 looks like: Plan the holiday schedule for an airline workforce
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others2.42.2Level 1 looks like: Interpret a blood pressure reading
  • Analyzing Data or Information2.32.3Level 1 looks like: Skim a short article to gather the main point
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment2.32.2Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others2.32.5Level 1 looks like: Apologize to a customer who complains about waiting too long
  • Assisting and Caring for Others2.11.8Level 1 looks like: Help a coworker complete an assignment
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others2.01.7Level 1 looks like: Exchange information during a shift change
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment2.01.9Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates1.91.7Level 1 looks like: Work occasionally as a backup supervisor
  • Developing and Building Teams1.71.1Level 1 looks like: Encourage two coworkers to stick with a tough assignment
  • Staffing Organizational Units1.50.8Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that has minimal staffing requirements

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.9
  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.9
  • E-Mail4.8
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.8
  • Telephone Conversations4.8
  • Freedom to Make Decisions4.7
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.6
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.4
  • Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions4.0
  • Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.0

Technology

10 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

Tools (10)
  • Katsura Shareware KS Strobe Tuner
  • Katsura Shareware ProLevel
  • Katsura Shareware SoundFrames
  • Mensurix Audio
  • Reyburn CyberTuner
  • TonalEnergy Tuner & Metronome
  • Tunable Instrument Tuner
  • TuneLab
  • Tunic OnlyPure
  • Veritune Verituner

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers
  2. Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters
  3. Watch and Clock Repairers
  4. Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers
  5. Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers
  6. Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners
  7. Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers
  8. Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
  9. Calibration Technologists and Technicians
  10. Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.