Have you ever played a brand-new grand piano? The keys are smooth as butter, the pedals are spry and pert, and the tone is on point. There is not much in this world that can make masterful pieces sound better. However, if you play the same piano 3-6 months later, it may sound drastically different. This is due to the fact that the new piano strings will stretch or loosen a little bit as the wood in the piano settles down. For this reason, most piano manufacturers recommend that you tune a piano 3-4 times the year that it is made. Piano tuning is a critical and essential part of piano ownership since the lack of maintenance will cause your piano to sound different than all other pianos. Imagine that you have been practicing for your recital of a beautiful piece for several weeks, only to discover on the day of the recital (on a different piano) that the piece sounds drastically different than you thought it did! Here are some practical reasons why you should get your piano tuned at least yearly.
The A440
Have you ever wondered how all pianos stay in tune with each other? The answer is relatively simple: the A440. Every piano has a middle C, and the A directly below that C is measured in hertz. That is the measurement of, essentially, how quickly something vibrates per second. The A string is found to be in tune when it vibrates at 440 Hz. When all other keys are appropriately tuned around the A440, the piano is perfectly tuned. The A440 is a worldwide understanding of how a piano should be tuned, allowing all pianos to stay in tune with each other.
Humidity
Depending on where you live in the United States, you may have more or less humidity in your home. Humidity is hard on pianos since the wood inside the piano will either become more stiff or swell, changing the stretch and tone of the strings. If you live in a place of high humidity, you should have your piano tuned more than once a year.
Potential Damage
What would happen if you just decided to not get your piano tuned? When a string is in one position for a long time it either loses its spring or becomes stiff. So, if you just don't play your piano and it becomes out of tune, it could lose its spring, making it dramatically more difficult to tune someday. In fact, it could damage the string to the point where it may need to be replaced.
In conclusion, there really is no way around it — if you want to have a piano, you need to keep it tuned.
To learn more about piano tuning in your area, contact a local tuning company.
Share6 January 2020
Ever since I was a young child, I have loved singing. While I never became a professional singer, I sing in a local chorus and I love putting on shows. However, I also enjoy listening to music and when someone asks me what my favorite music genre is, I tell them "all of them!" However, I especially love seasonal music and am always eager to turn on holiday music as soon as the weather begins getting cooler in the fall. I recently decided that more people need to embrace music, because it has healing qualities and really makes the world a happier place. I decided to create a blog to share my favorite new music finds, tips for singers, and many other music-related tips on! Come back often for a little music education and a lot of fun!