Piano Tuning!

When was the last time you tuned your piano? Last month? Last year? Maybe never?!? Lots of students have no idea how often they should see to the technical care and maintenance of their piano, but that’s ok… that’s what this post is for!

At the very least— I mean absolute MINIMUM— you should be getting your piano tuned once a year, but twice a year is even better. Double the tuning, double the FUN!!! (but seriously, your piano will sound much better and will therefore be more rewarding to play!)

You might be asking, “How does a piano even go out of tune? Is it from playing it too much?” Pianos do not typically lose their tune from being played (although this can happen slightly if you’re a very aggressive player), rather they lose their tune from being exposed to environmental factors that cause the wood to swell and contract. So if your piano is in an environment where the temperature and/or humidity fluctuates regularly then you might need to commit to tuning your piano four to six times per year. If that sounds like a lot, you could consider moving your piano to a location in your home far from a door or regularly opened window, and make sure that it is never in direct sunlight. I live in a tiny house where it is impossible to keep away from fluctuating temperatures (it’s fairly close to a door that regularly opens), so sometimes I can hear my piano going out of tune within two weeks of my last tuning— it’s quite tragic!! I personally try to have my piano tuned about 4 times per year and it generally keeps me pretty happy.

Something to keep in mind— your piano will need to be tuned after it is moved, so if you move house or even just move your piano from one room to another, it will need to be tuned after the move. It’s generally a good idea to let your piano settle into the new space for about three weeks before getting it tuned in its new environment.

Bottom line: as long as you limit environmental fluctuations, if you tune your piano twice per year it will stay a happy camper, providing you with a generally pleasant sound throughout the year. Tune your piano four to six times per year and you will maintain your instrument’s best possible sound for happy piano, pianist, and home-audiences year round!