Frequently Asked Questions
How Often Should I have my piano tuned?
Pianos in the home receive one to two tunings a year while Church pianos receive two to four. Concert pianos are tuned before rehearsals and touched up before the concert, touch up at intermission may also be requested. Whatever your preference, have your piano tuned at least once a year for proper maintenance.
The 200+ strings on your piano exert about 40,000 pounds of pressure on the plate and frame. Talk about stress! When the humidity changes, the soundboard will shrink or swell and change the tension of the strings. This is what causes your piano to go out of tune. The quality and condition of your piano, its environment, and how often it is played are factors that can help you decide. If you wait more than a year to retune, a pitch raise may be required to bring your piano back to standard pitch.
My Child Is Just Learning, Is It Important?
Absolutely! To have your piano sound like the piano teacher’s piano is very crucial to your child’s learning. Keeping your piano in tune and in good playing condition is the best way to encourage your child to practice.
The number one reason for a child quitting piano lessons is an out of tune piano. And because of the tremendous amount of stress on your piano, your instrument will drop in pitch over a period of time.
The piano may not sound that bad, but your child will be developing a false sense of pitch, which may hamper their ability to sing 'on key'.
What About New Pianos?
Manufacturers recommend four tunings the first year. Because of string stretching the piano will go out of tune quickly at first. Climate adjustment to your house may also cause minor action problems.
So don't be alarmed if you find a little 'gremlin' in your new piano. It is most likely a minor problem, and is usually covered under warranty. It will take a year or two for your piano to stabilize. If there is something wrong, you should contact the dealer and notify them of the problem. You may also call me if you have any questions.
No one ever plays it, does it still need tuning?
If no one plays your piano, consider selling it or finding someone who needs a piano. If you are saving it for your grand kids, consider getting it tuned up once every three years.
It will also ensure that rust and corrosion are not a problem. If you let your piano go without a checkup once in a while, it may wind up costing you more in the long run to get it back up to snuff.
Should I Place My Piano On An Inside Wall?
This is recommended, but newer houses are well insulated, and it may be ok to put it on an outside wall. Things to stay away from are heating/AC ducts, concrete floors, windows, outside doors, direct sunlight, aquariums, bathrooms, wood stoves and fireplaces.
That seems like a lot, but you want your piano in as stable an environment as possible. Remember, humidity fluctuation is what causes your piano to go out of tune. If humidity fluctuations are great, a Dampp Chaser System installed in your piano can help keep the humidity at the proper level.
Do You Charge Extra For Sticky Keys?
In most cases a sticky key is a very minor repair and would be included in the price of the tuning. If it's a major repair, we will give you an estimate before we start the work.
Included in each tuning service call, our technician will check and tighten pinblock bolts (and rim bolts on grands), check and adjust the pedals, check and tighten the bench bolts, and inspect your piano for repairs and adjustments it might need.
Can I Clean The Inside Of My Piano?
We recommend this be left to a trained technician. Improper cleaning procedures may cause damage to your piano. The interior of the piano should be cleaned periodically.
Cleaning your piano's interior prolongs the life of your piano and is an excellent idea. We do provide this service and recommend it be done maybe every three years for grands, and five years for uprights, give or take a year. Let us know in advance, and we will schedule it with your next tuning. It takes about an hour to do the job.