Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners

Repair percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments. May specialize in one area, such as piano tuning.

tasks jobzones knowledge skills abilities work_activities work_context interests work_styles work_values

Tasks

• File metal reeds until their pitches correspond with standard tuning bar pitches.

• Adjust lips, reeds, or toe holes of organ pipes to regulate airflow and loudness of sound, using hand tools.

• Remove material from bars of percussion instruments to obtain specified tones, using bandsaws, sanding machines, machine grinders, or hand files and scrapers.

• Stretch drumheads over rim hoops and tuck them around and under the hoops, using hand tucking tools.

• Cut new drumheads from animal skins, using scissors, and soak drumheads in water to make them pliable.

• Assemble and install new pipe organs and pianos in buildings.

• Place rim hoops back onto drum shells to allow new drumheads to dry and become taut.

• Replace xylophone bars and wheels.

• Strike wood, fiberglass, or metal bars of instruments, and use tuned blocks, stroboscopes, or electronic tuners to evaluate tones made by instruments.

• Clean, sand, and paint parts of percussion instruments to maintain their condition.

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Job Zone

• Name: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

• Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

• Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.

• Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.

• Examples: These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include funeral directors, electricians, forest and conservation technicians, legal secretaries, interviewers, and insurance sales agents.

• Svp range: (6.0 to < 7.0)

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Knowledge

Browse Knowledge

• Mechanical
  Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

• 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.

• Sales and Marketing
  Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

• Engineering and Technology
  Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

• Fine Arts
  Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

• Clerical
  Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

• Administration and Management
  Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

• Chemistry
  Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

• Design
  Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

• Mathematics
  Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

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Skills

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• Troubleshooting
  Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

• Critical Thinking
  Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

• Repairing
  Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

• Equipment Selection
  Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.

• Time Management
  Managing one's own time and the time of others.

• Active Learning
  Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

• Active Listening
  Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

• Judgment and Decision Making
  Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

• Management of Financial Resources
  Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.

• Reading Comprehension
  Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

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Abilities

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• Hearing Sensitivity
  The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.

• 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.

• Visualization
  The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

• 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.

• 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.

• Auditory Attention
  The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.

• Oral Expression
  The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

• Control Precision
  The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

• Oral Comprehension
  The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

• Near Vision
  The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

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Work Activities

Browse Work Activities

• Handling and Moving Objects
  Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
  Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
  Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

• 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.

• Thinking Creatively
  Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.

• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People
  Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.

• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
  Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.

• Getting Information
  Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
  Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

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Work Context

• Telephone
  How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

• Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
  How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?

• Face-to-Face Discussions
  How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?

• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
  How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

• Freedom to Make Decisions
  How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?

• Structured versus Unstructured Work
  To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?

• Time Pressure
  How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?

• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
  How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?

• Deal With External Customers
  How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?

• Exposed to Contaminants
  How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?

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Interests

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• 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.

• Conventional
  Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

• 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.

• Enterprising
  Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

• Social
  Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

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Work Styles

• Attention to Detail
  Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

• Integrity
  Job requires being honest and ethical.

• Dependability
  Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

• Analytical Thinking
  Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.

• Achievement/Effort
  Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

• Initiative
  Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

• 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.

• Persistence
  Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

• Self Control
  Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

• Innovation
  Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.

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Work Values

Browse Work Values

• Moral Values
  Workers on this job are never pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

• Independence
  Workers on this job do their work alone.

• Working Conditions
  Workers on this job have good working conditions.

• Autonomy
  Workers on this job plan their work with little supervision.

• Ability Utilization
  Workers on this job make use of their individual abilities.

• Security
  Workers on this job have steady employment.

• Responsibility
  Workers on this job make decisions on their own.

• Working Conditions-Mean Extent
  Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.

• Achievement-Mean Extent
  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.

• Company Policies and Practices
  Workers on this job are treated fairly by the company.

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