Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners
Repair percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments. May specialize in one area, such as piano tuning.
Sample of reported job titles:
Banjo Repair Person, Brass Instrument Repair Technician, Fretted String Instrument Repairer, Guitar Repairer, Instrument Repair Technician, Luthier, Mandolin Repair Person, Piano Technician, Piano Tuner, Stringed Instrument Repairer
Occupation-Specific Information
Tasks
- Play instruments to evaluate their sound quality and to locate any defects.
- Adjust string tensions to tune instruments, using hand tools and electronic tuning devices.
- Disassemble instruments and parts for repair and adjustment.
- Inspect instruments to locate defects, and to determine their value or the level of restoration required.
- Repair cracks in wood or metal instruments, using pinning wire, lathes, fillers, clamps, or soldering irons.
Technology Skills
- Analytical or scientific software:Katsura Shareware KS Strobe Tuner,Katsura Shareware ProLevel,Katsura Shareware SoundFrames,Mensurix Audio,Reyburn CyberTuner,TuneLab,Tunic OnlyPure,Veritune Verituner
Occupational Requirements
Work Activities
- Getting Information:Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems:Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public:Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
- Handling and Moving Objects:Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials:Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Detailed Work Activities
- Adjust equipment to ensure optimal performance.
- Adjust tuning or functioning of musical instruments.
- Align equipment or machinery.
- Assemble mechanical components or machine parts.
- Clean equipment, parts, or tools to repair or maintain them in good working order.
Work Context
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled:93% responded"Every day"
- Telephone:90% responded"Every day"
- Electronic Mail:83% responded"Every day"
- Face-to-Face Discussions:79% responded"Every day"
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls:79% responded"Continually or almost continually"
Worker Requirements
Skills
- Repairing:Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Troubleshooting:Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Quality Control Analysis:Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Critical Thinking:Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Judgment and Decision Making:Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service:Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Fine Arts:Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
- Mechanical:Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
- English Language:Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Education
How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:
- 43%Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
- 36%High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
- 11%Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
- 7%Less than a High School Diploma
Worker Characteristics
Abilities
- Hearing Sensitivity:The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
- Arm-Hand Steadiness:The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
- Finger Dexterity:The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
- Manual Dexterity:The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
- Auditory Attention:The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
Interests
- Realistic:Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
- Artistic:Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
- Investigative:Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Work Values
- Achievement:Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
- Independence:Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
- Working Conditions:Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Work Styles
- Attention to Detail:Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Dependability:Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Integrity:Job requires being honest and ethical.
- Persistence:Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
- Independence:Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
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