When do I need to have my piano tuned?
The single most important part of any piano’s maintenance is its tuning. Unfortunately, many piano owners think that they can go years between tunings and everything will be fine. Not so. To truly get the most out of your piano, rely on the regularly-scheduled care of a professional.
Frequent tuning:
Keeps the piano close to its intended pitch so it sounds as intended
Stabilizes the piano so it does not need to be tuned as far each time
Causes the piano to undergo less stress during tuning
Gives greater potential for making beautiful sounding music.
Most tuning technicians and piano manufacturers suggest tuning an established piano one to two times a year. Depending on what type of climate you live in, however, tunings may be needed more often.
New pianos need to be tuned more frequently than older ones. Most manufacturers recommend tuning 3-4 times in the first year because strings are still stretching and wood components are still adjusting to the relative humidity in your home.
HOW WILL YOU TUNE MY PIANO?
To tune your piano, I must adjust the tension of each string so that it vibrates at the correct pitch and sounds in harmony when musical intervals are played. There are over 200 strings in a piano with the combined pull of all strings equaling between eighteen and thirty tons. This high tension means that the tuning pins the strings wrap around have to be set very tightly in a strong wooden block, requiring a special wrench to turn them up or down.
I start with one string in the middle of the piano and get its correct pitch from a tuning fork. Then I set about 12 notes right in the same area (a chromatic scale). For keys that have two or three strings, I must block off the outside strings with a strip of felt so only one string will sound at a time for each note.
After I get enough notes tuned in the middle, I work in both directions by listening to octaves that go with the notes already set. The final step is to pull out the strip of felt and tune the outside strings of each note to the middle one.
After discussing service needs it may be wise to consider having further work beyond basic tuning such as action regulation and reconditioning. Of course I can take care of repairs and maintenance work that arise during the life of a piano. I work on all modern (since the early 1900’s) makes and models of piano. I love to tune, and concentrate my studies on those areas affecting touch and tone, including action regulation and voicing. For pianos requiring substantial rework, I may refer you to local rebuilders whose focus on restoration would be appropriate for the situation.
