Getting Your Piano In Tune - JD Pianotech
All 200+ strings in your piano need to remain stable while under great tension. This is how strings produce a clear pitch. To control their tuning, we increase or decrease that tension. Getting your piano in tune ensures that every note, interval, and chord can sing its absolute best. A tuning only requires one hour, if the piano has been serviced routinely. If it has not been tuned in a few years, it requires a Pitch Raise. We will let you know during your appointment if any regulation, repairs, or voicing should be performed.
Why Tuning Must Be Done Routinely
There are many reasons to get your piano in tune at least twice per year. If it is played regularly, the piano undergoes changing stress as the strings vibrate (this is true for the tuning of any string instrument). Of equal importance is the shift from warm, humid months to cold, dry months. Each season has a fluctuating effect on the tuning of your piano. However, your piano requires very specialized skill in order to be tuned well and sound its absolute best. As such, we recommend tuning at least twice per year if playing regularly.
When You Know It’s Time For A Tuning
When you get in tune with us, we keep you updated throughout the year with reminders. We will contact you when it is time. Here is the simplest way to determine yourself if your piano is in need of tuning: 1) Listen for “wobbly”, unclear, or harsh notes when played, and 2) Recall how long it has been since the last time your piano was tuned. If you can hear those notes sounding unpleasant, they are out of tune. Trust your ears in this area, you don’t need “perfect pitch” or a “musician’s ear”. If it has been over six months since your last tuning, it is most likely due for another.