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FAQs |
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How
often should my piano be tuned?
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| Every
piano should be tuned at least
once a year. If your piano is new, it may require tuning
more often for the first year or so. If the piano has
not been tuned in several years, it will require a pitch-raise,
and more frequent tunings over the next year or so, to
keep it up to pitch. The goal is to get the piano up
to pitch, and for it to be in tune, not out of tune,
most of the time. |
| Why
does my piano need tuning? |
| It
doesn't get played very much. Playing or not playing has
almost nothing to do with a piano getting out of tune.
While it is true that "heavy-handed" playing
can contribute to "knocking" a piano out of
tune, it is changes in humidity and temperature throughout
the year that cause a piano to go out of tune. |
| Should
my piano be tuned after it is moved?
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|
Even
if a piano is moved a short distance, such as from one
part of the house to another, or from one apartment
to another in the same complex, and done so very carefully,
it may need tuning. The important thing to consider
is the change in environment that occurs when a piano
is moved. Certainly,
if the move is from one city to another, or across town,
the new environment with it's unique level of temperature
and humidity ranges will affect the piano's tuning.
By the way, it is best to let a piano "sit"
for at least a month or so in a new location before
it is tuned, so it will adjust to the new environment.
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| Should
I avoid placing the piano on an outside wall? |
| The
belief that a piano should not be placed on an outside
wall comes down to us from the days before air-conditioning
and more efficient wall insulation, when a lack of air
circulation could cause the wall behind the piano to "sweat,"
creating high levels of moisture, which could damage the
instrument. Also, pier-and-beam construction that was
not reinforced under the floor where the piano stood might
eventually sag under the weight of the old heavy uprights
was a consideration. Nowadays, slab foundations have pretty
much eliminated the "sag" factor. So, in the
house with a reasonably good foundation and central AC/heat,
placing the piano on an outside wall would be acceptable
HOWEVER, a piano should not be placed in front of windows,
or in the path of AC/heating vents, etc, where it would
be exposed to unfavorable changes in temperature/humidity.
The piano should be in as stable an environment as possible.
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| What
can I do to protect my piano against excessive humidity? |
Excessive
humidity and extreme temperature changes are the enemies
of the piano. The piano is basically a wooden instrument.
Too much moisture in the air will cause the keys and action
parts to swell, resulting in sticking and sluggish notes.
The felts will, over time, become hard, resulting in a
noisy action. The tuning pin block–a laminated hardwood
block into which the tuning pins are driven, will expand
around those pins, and then, when the surrounding are
becomes dry and the block loses some of its moisture,
will contract, causing the tuning pins to become loose,
resulting in a piano that will not "hold a tune."
The steel strings will become rusty and destroy the tone
of the instrument. The other metal parts will, likewise,
rust and eventually need to be replaced.
More.... |
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