Tuning

A piano will always eventually go out of tune due to the high tensions continuously being exerted on to the frame. This is the main reason for regular tunings. Variable temperatures, frequent or heavy playing will increase the need for more frequent tuning. The tuning process is generally divided into the following.

Fine-Tune –This is generally a routine maintenance task, involving bringing the piano back into tune, with the pitch remaining constant. It is recommended that you get your piano fine-tuned at least every 12 months. In many cases every 6 months is recommended if the instrument is played a lot or if room temperatures tend to vary a lot.

Pitch Raise and Fine Tune’. If the pitch of the piano has dropped significantly, which may be a consequence of long periods of neglect, it may be worth shifting the pitch of the piano back up to A440 (concert pitch). However, if it has dropped too far and the piano is quite old then it may involve too much risk of breaking strings and affecting the stability to attempt to raise it this far. First the pitch of all the notes is raised and rough-tuned. This is then followed by a Fine Tune.