Gather a tuning lever, mutes, felt strip, temperament strip, and an electronic tuning app or chromatic tuner
Remove the piano’s front panel and key cover if needed to access the strings
Check the piano’s condition and make sure the tuning pins are stable
Identify the A4 reference pitch, usually 440 Hz unless a different standard is required
Mute the outer strings of each unison so only one string sounds at a time
Tune the temperament octave first, starting from A4 and working outward
Set the octave by tuning intervals such as fourths, fifths, thirds, and sixths
Use a chromatic tuner to verify pitch accuracy while tuning
Tune each note’s remaining strings to match the first string in its unison
Remove mutes as you finish each note and confirm the unison is clean and free of beats
Continue tuning by octaves across the keyboard using the temperament as a reference
Check the bass and treble sections for consistency and correct any drifting notes
Recheck the entire piano after the first pass and make small adjustments as needed
Test with chords and scales to confirm the piano sounds even across registers
Replace the panels and clean up the tools when finished