As a piano owner, what do you need to know about the tuning process? What should you expect? What does a tuning include and/or not include?
General Definition
Piano tuning is the process of adjusting the pitches of the strings on a piano to align them with some desired standard. The condition, quality, and age of a piano determines whether a particular instrument can be tuned and how long it will hold tune.
Pianos are built with materials, such as wood and iron, that expand and contract with changes in humidity and temperature. These changes affect the pitch or tautness of the wires, eventually altering their pitch so that it becomes necessary to adjust them.
Piano tuning myths
1. All pianos can be tuned.... Not true
Not all pianos are in tunable condition. They either can't be brought up to standard pitch, or they cannot hold their pitch. These problems may or may not be able to be repaired.
2. The piano tuning process is the same on two different pianos... Not true
A piano may require multiple tunings or pitch raises. It might take 3 to 5 times as long to tune one piano over another. Additionally, spinets (the smallest piano) often require a different method called split-scale tuning..
3. A bad piano can be made good with a tuning... False
Not true, a piano tuning doesn't fix rattles, bad strings, errant noises, or mechanical problems.
4. A piano can be tuned with general tools and a guitar tuner... Not true.
You must have special tools. You cannot tune a piano properly with a "guitar" tuner. Each string pitch is determined relative to other strings and relative to the individual piano. Also, you will ruin the pins and damage the instruments if you do not use a specially designed piano hammer.
What should you expect
1. Each piano tuning session should last 1-3 hours and could cost between $75 and $200 dollars
2. A piano could require a pitch raise if it hasn't been tuned in a long time, or is significantly out of tune. In this case it takes two sessions to tune the piano
3. If it is an older piano that is significantly out of tune, pitch raising may break strings. This is not the tuner's fault, but he should forewarn you if he suspects it is a possibility.
4. If your piano is kept in tune regularly it will extend the life of your piano
5. The piano may go out of tune faster if you do not protect it from extremes of moisture and temperature or place it near a window or door
6. In order for a piano to hold tune, additional minor or major repairs may be necessary.
My name is Cody Handlin, and I'm the owner of Handlin Piano. I've been working with antique pianos since attending my first piano technicians guild meetings when I was just a teenager. At 16, with my own money, I attempted to restore my first instrument, a 100 year old upright piano. From those early pianistic adventures to today, nearly two decades later, the piano still holds my fascination. I still marvel at its mechanical and aesthetic beauty, hundreds of parts hewn in wood, bone, and metal all working in harmony to produce music of great power and subtlety.
Visit my website for more information http://www.handlinpiano.com/
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