WHY DO PIANOS GO OUT OF TUNE?
A piano exists in a perpetual state of tension. Each note is sounded by a hammer striking up to 3 strings tuned to the same pitch simultaneously. This means there are around 200 or more strings in every piano!
Each of these strings are attached to metal pins which are set in the “wrest plank” or “pin block” of the piano. Piano strings are made of high tensile steel, an incredibly strong, stretchy yet stiff material. Each string can be under as much as 75 kilograms of tension! The high tension of piano strings is a large part of what gives pianos their clear and loud sound.
With so many strings under so much tension, a piano, if left to its own devices, will gradually slide out of tune due to the stretch of the strings, the natural wear of all the components holding the strings under tension, changes in humidity affecting the wood – and of course, playing the piano! When you play the piano, you are pounding the strings with the hammers; this repeated force on the steel piano strings causes them to eventually go out of tune.
WHY SHOULD I TUNE MY PIANO (REGULARLY)?
A large part of a piano tuner’s job is ensuring stability in the piano tuning; if a tuning is stable, the piano stays in tune better, and ultimately lasts longer as a musical instrument.
If a piano is very out of tune or flat of concert pitch and in need of a pitch raise, more strings need re-tuning by larger amounts to bring the piano into tune. This significantly changes the tension exerted on the piano frame. Once a piano is in tune and at pitch, the best way to ensure stability is to have it tuned regularly, rather than waiting until the piano is so out of tune that a lot of tuning has to be done.
Even if your piano doesn’t sound out of tune enough to annoy you after six months or a year, it is still worth keeping your tuning appointment. If you wait until it is so awful that you can’t bear it, the piano will need a lot more work.
Constantly making large changes to the overall string tension is not good for the piano – so although you might be saving money in the short term by putting off a tuning appointment, you are probably losing money in the long term.
And you never know, you might discover after a regular tuning that the piano was more out of tune than you realised!
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I HAVE MY PIANO TUNED?
It depends how much and how intensively you play the piano, how often the piano is moved, and also on the humidity levels in the room and the age and condition of the instrument; but as a general rule, a piano in the home played by a hobbyist will need tuning about once a year. A piano played more intensively – for example a piano in a family with several keen players, or a piano in a school – will usually need tuning every six months.
When I have tuned your piano, I will assess when I think the piano next needs to be tuned and (with your permission) send you a reminder nearer the time. If you feel that your piano needs tuning before your next appointment, feel free to contact me.
WHY CAN’T I TUNE MY PIANO MYSELF?
You can – but if you have never done it before it probably won’t sound very good. If you don’t know what you are doing, you risk upsetting the stability of the tuning, or worse, damaging the piano (most commonly by breaking strings, which, especially in the bass of the piano, are not cheap to replace).
Tuning pianos is a skill; it takes hundreds of hours of practice to hone the skills required to move the tuning lever precisely enough to tune the piano well whilst also maintaining stability. Tuning a piano is not like tuning a guitar; because the piano has so many notes, it needs to be tuned to equal temperament in order for music to sound harmonious and pleasant in all the keys. This involves making minute adjustments to all of the intervals.
Although electronic tuners are a tool increasingly used in the piano trade to aid efficient tuning, they are just that – a tool – and while useful in many situations they are no substitute for the trained tuner’s ear. Every piano is different and has its own idiosyncrasies of tone and temperament. It takes a practised ear to be able to “listen through” these idiosyncrasies and bring out the best tuning for the piano.
If you are interested in learning more about tuning and repairing pianos as a profession or a hobby, Richard Roberts’ excellent article on the subject is a good place to start. I also recommend the book “Piano Servicing, Tuning & Rebuilding” by Arthur Reblitz.
Please note that I am not responsible for any damage you may do to your piano by attempting to tune it yourself.
HOW CAN I KEEP MY PIANO IN GOOD CONDITION (APART FROM HAVING IT TUNED REGULARLY)?
A happy piano is a piano that isn’t subjected to extremes of temperature/humidity or moved about constantly! Many parts of pianos are made of wood, which is very sensitive to humidity.
Try not to have a piano on an outside wall, next to a window, in a damp room, or near a radiator or other heat source. If your piano is in a very cold room (for example in an old house) and is not fitted with a piano heater, consider investing in one if you have problems with the piano going out of tune.
Try to limit the amount you move the piano as this can sometimes destabilize the tuning. You may find that the piano needs tuning sooner after it has been moved.
If you need to move your piano up stairs, or any distance greater than between rooms in your house, I strongly recommend contracting the services of professional piano movers. Not only can it be very stressful moving a piano without the necessary knowledge and experience, it is easy to accidentally damage the piano.
I SAW A PIANO ON EBAY ETC. AND IT WAS REALLY CHEAP/FREE, SHOULD I BUY IT?
Be very careful. If a piano is being given away (or practically given away) there is usually a reason. Sometimes the reason is that someone just needs to move it quickly, and the piano is actually OK; sometimes the piano is terrible and someone just wants to get rid of it. Without experience, it is not easy to tell the two apart at first glance.
I strongly advise exercising caution. If you do buy a piano off the internet, view it in person first. Remember that by getting a free or very cheap piano, even though you might save money, you run the risk that if the piano is unplayable or not to your liking, you will most likely have to pay to have it removed from your home.
If you would like advice on buying a piano, or would like to arrange to have me inspect a piano for you, please contact me.
ARE “REAL” PIANOS BETTER THAN DIGITAL PIANOS/KEYBOARDS?
It depends who you ask!
Digital pianos/keyboards are a great option for many people. They are affordable, portable, volume-controllable, and they don’t need tuning.
However, to get a digital piano whose touch accurately mimics the feel of an acoustic piano, you have to spend almost as much as you would to get an acoustic piano.
For children learning the piano, it is important to develop the finger strength required to play the keys. Cheap digital pianos often have a lighter and less accurate touch, and thus a child learning solely on a digital piano may struggle to develop the finger strength necessary for acoustic pianos.
Acoustic pianos will work without electricity, and because they are mechanical, they are often more straightforward both to adjust (if a different touch or tone is required) and to repair. However, they are bulky, heavy, and not easily portable.
Most professional pianists perform and practice on an acoustic piano. Many people say that despite technological advancements, nothing can come close to the sound of a “real” piano, or to its presence in the room.
If you do choose to buy a digital piano, it is worth knowing that only a small number of technicians offer repairs and servicing on digital pianos, so it is a good idea to check the warranty and find out whether or not the manufacturer carries out repairs.