How often should I have my piano tuned?

Pianos are temperamental beasts and will not hold their tuning for long. Most of a piano is made of wood and is prone to moving with the climate. Even the quarter-ton iron frame, which stops the piano folding in on itself under the tension of over 200 strings, is affected by shifts in temperature.

Not only that, but all that’s holding a piano string in place is a metal pin hammered into a wooden plank. The twisting of this pin, either to tighten or slacken the string, is how the piano is tuned.

With all this in mind, it’s a wonder pianos need to be tuned as infrequently as they do.

So, how often should you have your piano tuned? The simple answer is every six months. However, it depends on how quickly your piano goes out of tune (considering the quality/age of the piano and the climate of your room), how frustrated you get when you hear an out of tune note, and how much money you’re willing to spend on the upkeep of your piano.

A piano really should be tuned, as an absolute bare minimum, once every two years. If it’s tuned less frequently it’s very easy for the piano to become irredeemably flat, and other problems may arise in the workings of the piano. An experienced piano technician would have been able to catch and fix potential problems before they become serious.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you love your piano, and always require it to be in absolutely perfect tune at all times, you may want to consider having it tuned three or four times a year.

For your average domestic situation however, those are the extreme ends of the spectrum. It’s generally best to have your piano tuned once, or preferably twice, a year.

Of course, if you’re running a concert hall or recording studio, you’ll want your pianos tuned more frequently.

Book a tuning appointment online or contact Matthew for more information.

How is a piano tuned?

A piano is tuned by turning pins set into a block of wood, which the strings are wound around, tightening or slackening the string. The pins have a square shaped top, allowing you to turn them using a tuning lever. Most notes have three strings associated with them, although the lower notes have two and the notes in the bottom octave have only one. Each string must be tuned to the other strings in the note, and each note must be tuned to every other note on the piano.

While there are methods of tuning a piano yourself, they will never be able to replicate the expertise of a professional tuner, and will likely do more harm to your instrument than good. Matthew has practical and taught skills, with years of experience, to best care for your piano.