When Might Your Piano Need An Extra Tuning Session?
Posted on: 12 May 2022
Experts generally recommend having your piano tuned once a year. Tuning will make sure each note sounds as it should, and it will also help keep the piano's hammers and strings in good shape over the years. While the once-a-year guideline does hold true in most situations, there are times when you may want to schedule an extra tuning session. Here are some of those times.
Your piano is new.
Once a piano is broken in, it should only need annual tuning sessions. However, manufacturers often recommend scheduling an extra tuning during the first year that you have the piano. In other words, a brand new piano should be tuned twice during its first year of use. Piano strings start off really stiff and stretch out during the first few months that the instrument is played. This second tuning makes sure this stretching is accounted for and adjusted for before the strings get too loose and the piano sounds too out of tune.
Your piano was exposed to high humidity.
Maybe your dehumidifier broke, and your home was really humid for a few weeks. Or perhaps you don't have a dehumidifier, and you just went through a really humid month without a good air conditioner. Humidity can cause certain components inside the piano to swell and distort. Having the piano tuned after exposure to high humidity can really help correct this. Some people in humid climates just schedule their annual tuning after the humid season has passed; this is also an option.
You just moved the piano.
Moving a piano even a short distance causes it to be jostled and bumped in abnormal ways. It may also be exposed to changes in humidity during the move. For this reason, tuning companies often recommend tuning a piano after you move it, whether that move is across town or to an entirely new state. If you hire a piano moving company to transport your piano, be aware that some of them do include post-move tuning in their services. Check to see whether this is provided before you hire another tuning service.
Tuning your piano will not only ensure it always sounds its best, but will also keep the piano in better condition over the years. Follow the tips above to be sure you schedule extra tuning sessions as needed. If in doubt, call a local piano tuning service, and see if they'd recommend having your instrument tuned.
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