Our Mission

Our school is committed to providing high-quality education. We aim to provide a unique and interactive learning experience for individuals looking to start a new career or part-time business in tuning and servicing pianos. If you have a passion for music, problem-solving, complex mechanisms, and the manual and mechanical skills required to restore and care for musical instruments, this is the perfect place for you. You will have the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to become a successful technician.

We believe we are one of the best in providing long-distance piano tuning education, with low tuition and great support. Compare our program to others and see for yourself.
It's crucial to be able to pick up the phone and talk to your teacher. You can also reach us via email. It's not just about what you know but also about who you know. We’re here to support you.

We regularly work with performance pianos and well-known artists from around the world. However, that is not what makes someone a good teacher. Good teachers understand how to teach. We not only have experience working on pianos, but we also have experience teaching as well. We know how to teach.

Our facilities also serve as a center for administering the Piano Technicians Guild certification exams in the Washington D.C. area and beyond.
The goal is to qualify for RPT classification. To become a Registered Piano Technician, you must pass three examinations. First, the written exam, which tests your basic knowledge of piano design, tuning theory, repair techniques and various other topics relevant to piano technology. Then, there are two separate practical hands-on exams that test your tuning and technical skills. The practical exams are administered by panels of RPTs under the leadership of examiners trained and certified in standardized exam procedures. The Butler School Course provides you the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to pass these exams.

Exam procedures are designed to comply with standards of objectivity mandated by US anti-trust legislation, thus assuring that exams are fair and equivalent regardless of where or by whom they are administered. On the tuning exam, the candidate must match as closely as possible a "master tuning" created by a panel of examiners who have agreed - after painstaking experimentation and analysis - on an optimal tuning for the test piano. The exam is scored by using extremely sensitive electronic equipment to measure the deviation of the candidate's tuning from the standard thus established. Candidates who use electronic tuning devices in their work must nevertheless demonstrate their ability to tune by ear, unaided by electronics. The technical exam requires the candidate to demonstrate professional level skills in assembling a grand and a vertical piano action (the mechanical component of the piano) and in making all the complicated adjustments (called "regulation") so that they function properly. The candidate must also demonstrate facility in various common repairs involving wood, cloth, felt, piano wire, and other materials commonly used in pianos. All the procedures on these exams must be completed in prescribed time periods - thus demonstrating the fluency required of a professional. 

The classification of RPT is meant to show that the technician is ready to handle normal piano service and repair. The Piano Technicians Guild has put a lot of time and effort into its examinations to establish a good set of standardized tests that will help ensure quality service. The written test takes about 1 hour. The tuning and technical tests take about 4-5 hours each. 
Although our course is designed with the RPT examinations in mind, it doesn't mean you must join the Guild and become an RPT. You may just wish to enroll in the school and work toward receiving a diploma from The Butler School of Piano Technology.