FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Question: How often should I have my piano tuned?
Answer: All manufacturers recommend that your piano be tuned no less than once per year, however, it is entirely up to you as regards how often you want it tuned. It's a question of how good you want your piano to sound, and how long you want your piano tunings to hold. The more often you tune your piano, the better it will hold. Many institutions will have their concert/recording pianos tuned on a weekly or daily basis depending on their needs.

Question: Do you provide warranty for your tunings? Essentially, if my piano goes out of tune within a short period of time, will you come back and tune it again for free?
Answer: No. No warranty is provided for piano tunings. Your piano will sound excellent once your tuning is finished. Your piano will hold its tuning based entirely on how well you have maintained it in the past. Again, many institutions will have their concert/recording pianos tuned on a weekly or daily basis depending on their needs.

Question: Can a piano be changed in pitch (pitch raise) in one tuning?
Answer: No. If your piano requires a pitch adjustment, it will continue to go out of tune until the steel strings have stretched to their proportional limit (see Figure 1), and when the sound board normalizes under the newly added tension. This is entirely dependent on how far out of tune your piano was before the tuning, how long it's been since the last tuning, and the general quality and shape of the piano itself. (See also Figure 2).








(Figure 1)







(Figure 2)

Question: What factors would indicate that my piano won't hold its tune very well?
Answer:
Factor 1:
How long it's been since your piano's last tuning.
Factor 2:
How often your piano has been tuned.
Factor 3:
How close your piano is to the proper tuning curve; especially in the high tension section (see Figure 3 and 4). If your piano is closer to what is depicted in figure 3, expect fewer tunings to get your piano sounding great and holding its tune well. If your piano is closer to figure 4, expect many more tunings before your piano stabilizes and holds its tune well.
Factor 4:
How new your piano is is a large factor, as new piano strings will rapidly stretch out over the course of a couple of years before they reach their proportional limit (see Figure 1). It is recommended that new pianos be tuned more frequently for the first couple of years.

Proper Tuning Curve (in tune)






(Figure 3)

Improper Tuning Curve (very far out of tune)






(Figure 4)


Question: What happens when a piano's tuning curve looks like Figure 4, and the technician tries to fine tune it without performing a pitch adjustment?
Answer: see Figure 5










(Figure 5)


Question: What happens to my piano if I leave it for a long time without tuning it?
Answer: Your piano will end up like the depiction in figure 4.
In addition, your piano strings will not only go out of tune, but the bends in the piano wire over the  parts on the cast iron plate will become semi permanent, meaning that it will take many tunings before the bends go back to where they should be. Your piano will continue to quickly go out of tune while these bends are remediated through tuning. (see Figure 6).







(Figure 6)


Question: How long will my piano hold its tune?
Answer: The more often you have your piano tuned, the better it will hold its tune. Again, many institutions will have their concert/recording pianos tuned on a weekly or daily basis depending on their needs.

Question: Does my piano need to be at A-440 standard concert pitch?
Answer: No. It may only be necessary if you are a professional musician, or if you would like your piano at A-440. Trying to chase A-440 for home and infrequent use will only cost you more money, and will require more tunings to keep it perfect if your piano requires a pitch raise (see Figure 2). For home and infrequent use, it is best to keep your piano where it will require the least amount of tunings to keep it stable and sounding great.

Question: Should I wait to have my piano tuned if I have just moved to a new home?
Answer: Yes. You should wait at least three weeks before you tune your piano if it was just moved. This allows the wood in the instrument to acclimatize to changes in humidity levels.