Why, What, and When
Why does a Piano need to be tuned?
The big picture answer is simply that your piano needs to be maintained. Just like your car, your house, your smile, or your garden. Ownership is not the same as maintenance. With few exceptions, the usefulness, reliability and value of anything quickly declines when they are neglected. The piano, as an engineered, finely crafted, instrument of beauty, requires periodic care to maintain its utility and value. We maintain and nurture everything in our lives that we value.
Digging a little deeper into why your piano needs to be tuned and we come to the question, how often does it need to be tuned.
When should I tune my piano?
The typical recommendation for piano tuning is every six months. Routine periodic tunings ensure that the tuning is reasonably stable at pitch whenever you feel like playing your piano. So a more accurate recommendation is that your piano should be tuned whenever you are not inspired by it.
The first point to understand about a piano is that it has many stresses built into it. And all these intentional stresses, contribute to the singing beauty and performance of the instrument. The strings, the soundboard, the pin block, the hammer felt all have internal stresses that contribute to the sound of your piano. Temperature, Humidity, time, and use, all contribute to the dynamic quality of your pianos tone. Over time, if left alone or regularly played, your piano will gradually relax and the sound from each note slowly resolves to a random noise. The strings rust and stretch, the tuning pins loosen, the soundboard flattens, felt compresses, leather wears, the whole piano twists and turns in minute increments in response to the forces of playing, weather, and time. It's some kind of magic that it holds a tuning at all. It is fortunate that the piano is designed to accommodate these changes and adjustments can be made to restore it back to its harmonious singing condition. If you hesitate to sit at your piano, it is time for it to be tuned.
Why every six months? Why can’t I save some money?
The simple answer is, you can. But…. neglect has a price.
Every six months is not the rule, it is a suggestion. If your piano is played often, the weather changes or there is an important performance coming up, you will likely want it tuned more often. The goal is to keep your piano in a constant state of availability. So that at any time you or your family feel the desire to play, it will be a pleasure. If the piano is tuned regularly, each tuning will require smaller movements and the piano will find a more stable state at your ready.
A tuning is a renewal. I a renewed commitment to your music, a rediscovery of your pianos beauty, and a reawakening to the harmony at your fingers.
What you should and should not expect from a piano tuning service
Call for an appointment
When you call to arrange for your first piano tuning, the pianos age and condition will be discussed along with the scope of service and anticipated expense. A mutually convenient time, and location will also be established and agreed upon. During the initial phone call, any special conditions or requirements should also be discussed and disclosed by you and the tuner. Such as the age and condition of the piano, any pets' or children, access restrictions such as gates and parking and any special requests. Don't wait until the tuner is at the piano to mention that 3 keys don't work and a few strings are broken. Oh, and by the way, can you fix the broken bench?
Communications, schedule, and payment.
Your tuner will often confirm the details of the appointment by text or email following your initial phone call. I also try to text status as the appointment time approaches depending on circumstances. If there is any change to your schedule, it is a much appreciated courtesy for you to notify me as soon as you are aware that it will impact our appointment. You can be assured that I will do the same.
You should schedule a two to three hour window for your tuning to allow plenty of time. The tuner does not require or want your participation during the entire visit. However, you should plan to attend his initial inspection and to do a final inspection and approval. Full payment of the agreed upon fee is appreciated with your full satisfaction of the tuning service.
Problems
There are two things to know right up front that may require extra time and expense. During the initial piano inspection these items will be fully discussed if any these issues are apparent. First, if your piano has not been tuned in a long time it may require a pitch adjustment. A pitch adjustment is often required when the piano is greater than 25 cents (think %) below the standard A4 440 hz. This requires extra time and often results in a less stable tuning. Second, if the piano is old, with rusty strings, and has not been tuned in a while, the strings may fail. This is the unavoidable result of age, original design, and neglect. A broken string can often be quickly repaired, however, it does result in additional time and expense.
When should I tune my piano?
Simple whenever it doesn't inspire you. However, the typical recommendation for piano tuning is every six months. Routine periodic tunings ensure that the tuning is reasonably stable at pitch whenever you feel like playing your piano. It is important to understand that the piano has many stresses built into it. And all these intentional stresses, contribute to the singing beauty and performance of the instrument. Over time, if left alone or regularly played, your piano will gradually relax and the sound from each note will resolve to a random thud like response. The strings rust and stretch, the tuning pins loosen, the soundboard flattens, felt compresses, leather wears, the whole piano twists and turns in minute increments in response to the forces of playing, weather, and time. It is fortunate that the piano is designed to accommodate these changes and adjustments can be made to restore it back to its harmonious singing condition. If you hesitate to sit at your piano, it is time for it to be tuned.
Why every six months? Why can’t I save some money?
The simple answer is, you can. But…. neglect has a price.
Every six months is not the rule, it is a suggestion. If your piano is played often, the weather changes or there is an important performance coming up, you will likely want it tuned more often. The goal is to keep your piano in a constant state of availability. So that at any time you or your family feel the desire to play, it will be a pleasure. If the piano is tuned regularly, each tuning will require smaller movements and the piano will find a more stable state at your ready.
A tuning is a renewal. I a renewed commitment to your music, a rediscovery of your pianos beauty, and a reawakening to the harmony at your fingers.