F.A.Q.

How often should I get my piano tuned?

There are a couple of answers to this depending on the use of the piece. Professional organizations and university music programs will often get their pianos tuned every other month.

Household pianos on the other hand can get away with being tuned once or twice a year.

Why does my piano go out of tune?

Piano's are always slowly pulling flat, simply because the strings are constantly pulling that direction. 

The biggest factor to a piano pulling noticeably out of tune other than time is change in humidity. The strings wrap around pins that are in a block of wood imaginatively called the pin-block. As the humidity changes, the pin-block expands or retracts, shifting the pins and strings and causing them to go out of tune. 

This ties neatly into the next question of...

When should I get my piece tuned?

As stated above, the biggest enemy to a tuned piano is humidity change. Getting your piano tuned when artificial heat/cooling kicks ins is generally the best time. This usually means sometime in the April-June months or (more commonly) the September-December months. 

It hasn't been too long since I got my piece tuned, and it's already sounding out of tune again! What gives?

In the case of a piano that was severely out of tune, it's not uncommon for the strings to pull back like a spring. String's are stretched to get in tune, and naturally they want to compress again when they're pulled a long way. For a piece that required a severe tuning, several sessions may be required to get it to stay in tune long-term.

What are the most common repairs?

Little things are often what need the most maintenance, and what are knocked out of place most often. Small springs, screws and other minor adjustments are periodically required. I do not charge full repair price for these, but add $5-$10 to the tuning bill depending on how long I have to take to repair them.

Is my piano fixable?

Almost certainly, unless the pin block or soundboard are broken. Even these are possible to repair, but I'm afraid I cannot do it, and it may be more cost-effective to simply find a new piano. Nearly any other problem is fixable however.