Question 1

How often should my piano be tuned?

Accepted Answer

Most piano manufacturers recommend tuning their piano twice a year.  The Piano Technicians Guild (PTG) is an excellent resource for information:  PTG Service Recommendations .  Your piano maintaining stable tuning will depend on a variety of factors, including the changes in temperature and humidity in your home, how frequent the piano is played, how hard the piano is played, and the ‘build’ of your piano.

I recommend tuning your piano at a minimum of once a year, and when it sounds out of tune.

Question 2

How long will a piano tuning take?

Accepted Answer

My average tuning takes about 2 to 2.5 hours.  I allow 3 hours for an appointment, which gives time for a pitch raise, and minor repairs or regulation.

Question 3

What causes pianos to go out of tune?

Accepted Answer

Seasonal humidity and temperature changes are the main reasons a piano goes out of tune.  Increasing humidity in the summertime will cause pianos to go sharp, while decreasing humidity in the winter causes them to go flat.  Extreme temperature changes will also cause pianos to go out of tune.  Pianos will also go flat over time, as the piano strings stretch and parts compress.

Question 4

What is a pitch raise, and when is it needed?

Accepted Answer

A ‘pitch raise’ means the piano has gone so flat that it needs to be tuned twice, in order to maintain a stable tuning.  When you raise the pitch on a piano during tuning, it increases the tension of the strings.  When a piano goes too flat, and you then raise the pitch during tuning, the tuning will not be stable and will drop in pitch.  This drop in pitch is not the same over the whole range of the piano.  When I perform a ‘pitch raise’, I quickly tune the piano once to raise the pitch, and then tune the piano with a fine tuning.  Pitch raises are generally needed when the piano is 10-15 cents flat (a half step is equivalent to 100 cents).

Question 5

Do you tune aurally, or with an electronic device?

Accepted Answer

I use a hybrid method of tuning.  I tune with an electronic device, and check aurally and make the needed adjustments.

Question 6

What forms of payment do you accept?

Accepted Answer

I accept check, cash, or Venmo.  I am not set up to accept credit/debit cards.