Crowley Piano Services

03/09/2026

✨ This video was taken while getting the grand ready for the concert. 🎹 Piano tuning is one of those crafts most people never see—but every great performance depends on it.

If you’ve got a piano in Chicago that needs some love, send us a message , or self schedule at crowleypiano.com

Chicago piano owners—when was the last time your piano was tuned? 🎥:

03/06/2026

This client’s piano was wildly out of tune. The before/after charts in the video show the ideal curve of this piano’s tuning with the yellow line. The white dots show the actual pitch of the piano at each note. After a full service appointment, we got it sounding much better!

03/04/2026

What is a Piano Life Saver System?
Consistent humidity is what keeps a piano healthy and allows pianos to maintain stable tunings for longer periods of time. Even the best HVAC systems often fail to keep pianos within their ideal range of 37%-43%. Especially in Chicago, we see drastic changes in humidity from season to season. Over time, cracks can begin to form in the soundboard, pinblock, action parts, etc., all of which are piano killers. A Piano Life Saver System keeps humidity consistent by constantly measuring the humidity and automatically turning on the appropriate system when necessary. Your purchase comes with a 5 year warranty when installed by a professional technician.

03/01/2026

How often should I tune my piano?

The answer to this question depends on your needs as a player, the condition of your instrument’s pinblock and how consistent the humidity is kept for your instrument. Due to Chicago’s climate, the general recommendation is to tune twice a year. If the piano is new, many manufacturers recommend tuning four times the very first year to stabilize its tuning. Recording studios and venues on the other hand, often tune before each performance.

02/21/2026

02/15/2026

Kept busy during the brutal cold of January, and notably had the opportunity to work on this Steinway Model D for a recording at the North Shore Performing Arts Center. CBS even did a spot on the project, which I’ll be happy to share when it airs!

01/01/2026

Thanks to all my clients, new and old, for your patronage this holiday season! It was a pleasure working on your pianos, whether it was for your student’s recitals, your holiday shows, your next recording or just for your own ears. See you in the new year!

11/14/2025

A review from the most kind and uber talented, John Love! John’s piano in this video is a rare one, a 64 key, Miniature Melodigrand. Really cool! Go see him perform with his band Kid Copter this Sunday, 8pm at Montrose Saloon.

11/04/2025

Did you know the more you play your piano, the healthier its action parts will be in general? That being said, the harder you play, the likelier it is to need a tuning sooner. My parents get to hear the dulcet sounds of this lovely trio on their home piano quite often. They’ll be getting a tuning soon 😁Consider getting your piano tuned this holiday season, and let the little ones hear your piano at its best!

10/16/2025

The piano in Szold Hall had an issue where a few of the keys would make a pronounced clicking noise whenever the hammer would strike the string. Clicking noises can come from a few different things, but given the timing of click, I knew it was coming from a loose joint on the hammers. I pulled the action out and found that the “catchers” were the source. I pulled those out, glued them back together and after they were done drying, p**f the clicking noises were gone!

08/13/2025

Are you interested in purchasing a used piano? Want to be sure that what you’re buying isn’t a clunker? We offer onsite evaluations for $100 plus a small travel fee. We check the tuning, tone, the action, check for any cracks in the bridge or soundboard, the torque in the tuning pins and pinblock. We’ll offer estimates for any repairs that may be needed and assist in the negotiation process by figuring out the average market value of the piano. Shoot us a message if interested and we’ll coordinate a time to find your piano!

08/13/2025

Here are some photos from a recent hammer filing and voicing! These hammers had become flattened, dirty and deeply grooved after many years of play. We restored their shape and softened the felt. The tone has dramatically improved and is much warmer and pure now.