Instructions & Support

Getting started

Quick start steps for tuning a piano:

  1. Create a new tuning file (Menu > New tuning file). Name it or select temperament/pitch settings if desired, then press “Continue”.

  2. Sample inharmonicity to create a tuning curve. Play several notes across the range of the piano, playing each note for at least 1 second.

  3. Rough tuning (optional): If the piano is more than about 10 cents sharp or flat you should do a rough tuning (“pitch correction” or “pitch raise”).

  4. Lock the tuning curve using the “ear” button on the right side of the screen.

  5. Fine tune the piano. The recommended order is to tune the midsection first, starting at the tenor break.

Tuning display

There are multiple ways to see whether a note is sharp or flat. The text in the center of the screen displays the note being played and how many “cents” sharp or flat it is. Surrounding the center circle are a series of spinning bars indicating how out of tune a note is.

Each set of spinning bars corresponds to specific harmonics, and small numbers indicate which harmonics are being measured.

Graphing area

There are 3 possible displays in the graphing area that can be accessed by swiping left or right.

The primary graph plots the tuning curve or “Railsback curve”. Whenever a note is played, its pitch is plotted on the graph as a dot.

The frequency spectrum graph shows the frequency spectrum from about 27 Hz (near the fundamental frequency of A0) to about 4300 Hz (near the frequency of C8).

The inharmonicity graph plots the measured inharmonicity of each note on a logarithmic scale.

Note switching modes

There are 3 note switching modes available through a selector on the main screen.

Automatic note switching allows the app to detect notes played anywhere on the keyboard. Stepwise note switching allows the note to step up and down chromatically. Lock mode prevents all automatic switching, locking to the current note.

Manual note switching

You can manually switch what note the app is listening to using hidden touch areas to the left and right of the center note display.

Locking a tuning

By default, the app will be listening for and measuring the inharmonicity of each note. You can lock a tuning to protect it from any future changes.

Saving and loading tuning files

In the Pro version, you can save the tuning files that contain the inharmonicity data and tuning curve for pianos.

Calibration

You can calibrate PianoMeter to an external reference by accessing the calibration page from the main menu.

Tuning to frequencies other than A=440

This is possible via the Tuning file settings page, where you can set an alternate frequency standard.

Unequal Temperaments

PianoMeter comes with several unequal/historical temperaments pre-loaded, and you can add custom temperaments using the offsets from a site like rollingball.com.

Pitch raises

A Pitch Raise (pro version only) is a rough pre-tuning for pianos that are very out of tune.

Inharmonicity weight factor

You can adjust an Inharmonicity weight factor for that style. The value will affect the tuning curve.

Tuning Style (Interval weights)

You can customize tuning styles by adjusting “weights” that are assigned to various slow-beating intervals.

FAQ

Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for answers to frequently asked questions.

For hobbyists

Hobbyists or DIYers wanting to tune their own piano can check out our short guide to tuning your own piano using the PianoMeter app.