How often should I have my
piano tuned?
Many piano manufacturers recommend from 2 to
4 tunings per year. I recommend 2, but at least once a year.
Why does a piano go out of
tune?
The primary reason strings in a piano change pitch
is because they move. If the soundboard and consequently the bridge
move, the strings change and the piano goes out of tune. This movement
of the soundboard often is caused by changes in humidity. Changes in
temperature cause the strings to vibrate at a slightly different
frequency, thus changing the pitch. Strings can also move because the
tuning pins, which hold the strings in place, may be too loose to hold
the string tension. Even if a piano is not played, the string tension
will gradually lessen over time, thus the piano will go out of tune.
Very hard playing of the keys can jar the stings out of tune as well.
The better the tuner sets the tuning pin and string, however, the less
this will effect the tuning.
When is the best time to
tune a piano, say, if I wish to tune it twice a year?
About a month or so after each weather change. The
soundboard needs time to readjust to the new temperature and humidity
changes after a major change in the season. For Fall, about a month
after the heat has been turned on. The same in the Spring. This really
only applies if you tune the piano regularly. A long neglected piano can
benefit from a good servicing at any time.
I heard that pianos are tuned "out of tune". Is
that true?
Yes, that is basically true. There are two reasons
that a piano cannot be tuned "in tune". First, the piano keyboard is
very practically designed so that there are enharmonic notes, such as f#
and gb. If one tunes pure intervals, these notes are actually not the
same pitch, although very close. To accommodate both the design of the
keyboard and the need to be able to play in all keys so that everything
sounds acceptable, the octave on the piano is mathematically divided
into 12 equal parts. This process is called tempering. The specific type
of tempering commonly used in piano tuning is called equal
temperament. This does produce out of tune intervals. For example,
perfect 5ths are not perfect but slightly narrow. Secondly, octaves are
commonly stretched (or the piano will not sound right). This is
necessary because the unique properties of the stretched piano wire
cause the overtones produced to be sharp (higher). This property is
called inharmonicity. In order to make octave tuning sound
correct, the tuner must stretch the octave in order to have the higher
note match the sharp overtones of the lower note. This is further
complicated by the fact that all pianos have a varying degree of inharmonicity.
Some tuners use electronic
devices to tune with. Is that better than tuning by ear?
This is a controversial subject. Any
professional such
as a good piano tuner uses tools of the trade. The electronic device, no
matter how technically up to date, is simply a tool which is as good as
the hands that it is in. It takes knowledge to use this tool correctly,
just as it takes knowledge, skill, and experience to hear the necessary
components to create a satisfactory tuning. Both methods use the
constant judgment of the tuner. I personally have been trained to tune
by ear. I prefer not to be encumbered with a tool I feel is unnecessary
for me. Pianos are also so unique in the way each tunes, that I also
prefer the latitude that tuning by ear provides me to make judgments in
each unique circumstance. Therefore, I know that I can create a better
tuning by ear. After all, is not the ear the final judge of the overall
results?
After my piano is tuned, I
play on it a short time and it is out of tune again. Why?
The tuner actually has two jobs to do when he tunes
your piano. One is to hear everything properly and put it there, the
other is to make it stay there. This is a very physical skill
the tuner must develop so that when the keys are struck, and struck
hard, they do not go out of tune. From experience, this again is
dependent on the piano and what it will allow you to do. Normally, hard
test blows, and even some hard blows to pitch a string are necessary. If
your tuner plays the notes hard, you can be assured that he is not doing
so to hear better! He is actually setting the tuning pins and strings so
that when you play the piano, you do not change the pitch even if you
play it hard. An inexperienced tuner may also make the mistake of
bending or twisting the tuning pins into tune. Soon, the metal in the
pins remembers where it was and returns to its relaxed state, and
changes the string right along with it. A skilled tuner sets the pins in
a relaxed state at the proper pitch, with the string set. If done
correctly, even a concert pianist should not be able to knock the tuning
out.
I've heard the terms
"regulation" and "voicing". Does my piano ever need these?
Regulation refers to the adjustment of the keys and
mechanical parts of the piano action so they function in the optimum
manner in which they were designed - evenly across the keyboard. Voicing
refers to the manipulation of the hammers to produce the optimum or
preferred quality of tone and brilliance. On a new piano, regulation
should be checked within a year or two, as parts compress and screws
loosen. Over time, hammer felt compresses and grooves. Sometimes it is
necessary to correct this. This is best decided by your discussing this
with a skilled piano technician who can look at your piano and assess
the need.
How do I find a reputable
piano tuner/technician?
Ask the professionals who they use. A reputable
piano teacher, university or college music department, or symphony
orchestra business office is a good place to start. Get a
consensus and call the technician for availability. If the technician is
not available to you, ask who he/she would recommend. Remember, anyone
can pick up a tuning hammer and advertise in the phone book. These are
not necessarily experienced or trained piano technicians. Though I may
be criticized for saying so, tuners who advertise as belonging to some
organization associated with piano tuning are not necessarily the best
choice either. Choosing a skilled technician is especially important if
you have a good professional model upright or grand piano. For the piano
to be all that it was designed to be requires the skill of qualified piano technician to extract the very best from the
piano.