Frequently Asked Questions
Piano Tuning
How Often Should I Tune My Piano?
Pianos are recommended to be tuned once every six to twelve months for domestic pianos, and always just before a performance in concert venues. The longer a piano remains out of tune, the more time and effort it will take to restore it to proper pitch. When a piano is only slightly out of tune, it loses the glowing tonal quality characteristic of a freshly tuned piano, especially because each note in the middle and upper range is sounded by more than one string, and these may get slightly out of tune with each other. To an extent that varies with the ear of the listener, pianos that are more than slightly out of tune tend to be unpleasant to play and listen to.
What Is A Pitch Adjustment?
Why Does My Piano Need One?
If a piano has gone without tuning for a long time, its pitch may have dropped far below A440. This means that each of its approximately 220 strings needs to be tightened considerably, adding tremendous additional tension to the piano's structure. The problem is that as each string is tightened, the additional force causes the pitch of previously adjusted strings to change. This makes it impossible to change the pitch considerably and end up with an accurate tuning in one pass. Instead, a process called a "pitch adjustment" must first be done, in which all strings are raised (pitch raise) or lowered (pitch lower) to their correct average tension levels. It will take 3 to 4 weeks for the instrument to adjust to the new tension level. A follow-up tuning may then be completed for a stable, in-tune piano. In other words, accurate tuning is only possible when all strings are close enough to their proper tension (within 10c +/-) that only small further changes are needed during tuning. These small changes then do not disturb the tuning of other strings.
Why Do Pianos Go Out Of Tune?
There are many factors that cause pianos to go out of tune but the main culprit is humidity. Much of a piano is made of wood, and is therefore extremely sensitive to fluctuations in humidity. The piano's wooden soundboard is designed to have an arch, or crown. The crown increases or decreases with changes of humidity, changing the tension on the strings and causing the pitch of each string to change. Substantial fluctuations in humidity can also affect regulation, and even cause parts to crack. If humidity changes are extreme, the soundboard can warp so much to the point that it can collapse and lose its crown, which may require rebuilding or replacing the instrument. Keeping pianos away from air vents, heaters, stoves, open windows/doors and direct sunlight can help prevent damage, since all these are potential sources of sudden changes in humidity.
Why Do New Pianos Need Tunings More Frequently?
New or newly restored pianos usually require four tunings during the first year in your home. This is to remove the “stretch” from the metal strings, to help the strings seat themselves firmly around the hitch pins, and to keep the piano at proper pitch while the instrument’s wood components are adjusting to the room’s climate. After this first year of frequent tunings, the piano will begin to settle-in around A440. You may then get into a regular tuning schedule of 2 tunings per year going forward.
Does Piano Quality Effect Tuning Stability?
Pianos made out of lower-quality materials will require more frequent tunings than well-built pianos in the same location. Shoppers should consider this when purchasing a new instrument. The cost to own a "cheap" piano will be much greater in the long-term than the cost of a higher-quality piano.
Climate Control
Is It Possible To Control The Humidity To Help My Tunings Last Longer?
Yes. Most technicians recommend an indoor relative humidity within the range of 30% to 50%, with consistency the most important factor. Since pianos go out of tune primarily because of changes in humidity, tunings can be made more secure by installing special equipment to regulate humidity, inside or underneath the piano. These systems are called Dampp Chasers and I am a certified installer. Not only does the Dampp Chaser add humidity on very dry days, it also wicks moisture out of the air on very humid days, helping to maintain a consistent relative humidity for your piano. Tunings will last longer and the over-all lifetime of your piano will be extended. Please contact me for more details.
Regulation
How Do I Adjust How My Piano Feels When I Play?
Over time, the performance of a piano action tends to decline, due to the compression of felt, warping of wood, and other types of wear. A skilled technician can restore it to optimal precision, through a process called regulation, which involves adjusting the keys, action, hammers and strings. Many new pianos are not precisely regulated when leaving the factory, or quickly lose their regulation when moved to their new home. The goal of regulation is to make the piano's touch and sound consistent across all notes, allow it to comfortably achieve the widest possible range of dynamics, and make the keys responsive to even the most rapid or most subtle motions of the pianist.
Voicing
Is It Possible To Improve The Sound Of My Piano, Beyond Just Tuning It?
Usually, yes. This process is called voicing. There are limits to what may be achieved as each instrument has it's own unique characteristics. Not all pianos will sound like a 9 foot concert grand, but each instrument may be adjusted within certain variances to offer different tonal qualities.
The felt hammers of the piano can harden over time, as the felt becomes compressed by repeated impact. Harder hammers produce a brighter tone quality, which may ultimately become harsh and undesirable. Piano technicians can soften hammers using special voicing needles. They also sometimes use hardening agents when the hammers are too soft. In either case, an important goal is uniform tone quality across the piano. Hammers are not used with equal frequency and therefore tend to wear unevenly. How often and how forcefully the piano is played is a factor in when a piano needs voicing, as are the instruments's setting and the preferences of its players.
Over time, the metal strings cause grooves to form at the strike-point of the hammers. The grooves eventually become deep enough, and the head of the hammer flattened enough, that voicing cannot restore the piano's tone. At this point, a technician must file the hammers, restoring their original ovoid shape and pristine surface at the expense of making them slightly smaller. This process may repeat several times, until there is not enough felt left on the hammers, when they must be replaced.