1. How often should I have my piano tuned?

Usually every six months to a year is sufficient for normal use. If your piano gets played a lot, you might need more frequent tunings, like every two or three months. Ideally your ear should be your guide. If some of the notes on your piano are sounding "sour," it's probably time to call the tuner. New or recently restrung pianos may need more frequent tunings for the first couple of years, because the new strings are stretching. Pianos with loose tuning pins also may need more frequent tunings.

2. How much does a tuning cost?

Often the type of piano and its condition has a lot to do with the price. If a piano hasn't been tuned for several years, it is likely it will need not only a regular tuning but an additional, preliminary rough tuning (called a pitch raise) to bring it up to pitch. Perhaps some broken strings might need to be repaired or action problems fixed before the piano can be tuned. Things of this sort can often increase the price. Often the time the tuner is willing to spend on the piano seems directly related to what they quote you.

3. What happens if my piano hasn't been tuned for a few years?

If it really is just a few years (i.e. 2 or 3) then there probably won't be much of a problem. If what is meant by "a few" is really "several" (i.e. four or more years) there are a number of consequences you may experience:

• The piano many need more than one tuning to bring it back up to pitch. (Additional expense.)
  
  
• You may get notes that still sound out of tune after the tuning due to something called false beats. This is due to little bends being formed in the piano strings where they pass around anchor points such as bridge pins. When the piano is tuned regularly these bends have a chance to be gradually eased out of the string. If the piano has fallen substantially below pitch (i.e. from not having been tuned frequently enough), the process of pulling the strings back up to pitch often brings these little bends out into the speaking segment of the string without having had the opportunity to straighten out gradually. A competent tuner can usually remove these unwanted bends in the string, but it's additional work, and you may get charged more. Some tuners who are not so competent just leave them and hope they'll straighten out over time. And sometimes, no matter how good the tuner is or how hard he tries to remove a false beat, you're stuck with it.
  
  
• The piano may go out of tune more rapidly until it has had subsequent tunings on a regular basis.
  
  
• Since the strings on new or recently restrung pianos are usually stretching or going out of tune much faster, it is important not to let these instruments go for more than about a year without tuning.
  
  
• Most importantly, the piano will not be as enjoyable to play if it is out of tune.

4. My tuner says my piano needs 2 or 3 tunings to bring it up to pitch. Why is this?

Usually because the piano has been allowed to go out of tune for more than a couple of years. A piano that is tuned every 6 months to a year should not normally need more than one tuning. What happens, in a nutshell, is that every time a tuner tightens one string on your piano, it affects other strings and causes them to go slightly out of tune. If the piano has been kept relatively close to being in tune, these effects are not noticeable. But if piano has been allowed to drop significantly below pitch, or flat, over the years, and needs to have major tightening done to all the strings in order to bring it back up to pitch, the first strings the tuner tunes will have gone audibly out of tune again by the time he finishes with the rest. When a tuner must add additional tension to a string, (as when having to bring it back up to pitch), it not only affects the string he is tuning, but also the soundboard, the plate (or gold "harp"), the bridges, and numerous other structural components of the piano as well. This in turn affects all the other strings. Even in a normal tuning, strings that have already been tuned are affected by the strings that tuned after them. Often tuners have to go back after the tuning is done and "touch-up" strings. The closer a piano is to being in tune before the tuner begins, the better tuning that he can do.

5. If the piano needs two or three tunings to bring it up to pitch, can I just have the tuner leave the piano below pitch for now, and do just one tuning?

It all depends. If the piano is not so far below pitch that it sounds tubby or dead, and still relatively in tune with itself, it can probably be tuned flat. The drawbacks are that you probably won't be able to play with other instruments, (such as certain woodwinds, like the oboe or flute), that can't alter their pitch down sufficiently to conform with that of your piano, but if you usually just play the piano by itself, that shouldn't be a problem. Most pianos made in the last 100 years or so were designed for A-440 pitch (i.e. the A above middle C is supposed to vibrate at a frequency of 440 cycles per second; and all the other notes in proper relationship to that A). Pianos designed for A-440 usually do not sound as brilliant or powerful at a lower frequency, but then, some people like the mellower sound. A lot depends on how far below pitch the piano is, and how much out of tune it is with itself. Musicians, vocalists or pianists who have perfect pitch may find it very difficult or impossible to play, or perform accompanied by, a piano that is below pitch, because they have an internal pitch reference that disagrees with what they are hearing from the off-pitch instrument.

Many tuners, when confronted with a piano needing more than one tuning, and aware of customers' objections to having to pay more than the normal tuning fee, will try to accommodate the client and attempt to make do with one tuning, either by leaving the pitch of the piano low (i.e. where it was), or by raising the pitch only partway, so that the piano doesn't sound like it's gone out of tune again when they are through. There may be some justification for bringing a piano up to pitch slowly, over time: It reduces the possibility of false beats (see above, under "what happens if I don't tune my piano for several years?") Also the piano will be more stable and hold its tune better if the strings are not pulled up so much all at once. While many experts on the subject of tuning advocate doing a "pitch raise" (basically a coarse tuning to bring the piano immediately up to A440 pitch) and then a fine tuning immediately afterward, there are other tuners and technicians who prefer to bring a piano up to pitch more gradually, over several weeks or months, to avoid the false beat problem just mentioned. Since each individual situation is different, it's usually best to consult your tuner, and have him tell you your options, and his recommendations.

6. My piano tuner said that my piano cannot be tuned. How can that be?

There are a couple of different things the tuner could mean by this. First, he may not be able to bring this particular piano up to pitch. This doesn't necessarily mean the piano can't be put in tune with itself, even if it's not up to A440 pitch. (See previous question). This situation could be due to a number of factors. The piano may be an antique that wasn't designed for A440 pitch. (Over the years there have been many different "concert pitches." It was only relatively recently that A440 was universally accepted as standard pitch, and there are still exceptions in places. Older pianos may have been designed for a lower pitch.) Or, the strings on the piano may be rusty and may break if the tuner attempts to stretch them the requisite amount to bring the instrument up to pitch.

The other thing that the tuner could mean is that the piano cannot be put in tune at all, even below pitch. This could be due to such things as loose tuning pins that will not hold the strings tightly enough to sustain a tuning, structural defects in the piano itself, such as a cracked pinblock or plate, or strings that are so old or rusty that the tuner breaks several in attempting to tune the piano. A bridge coming loose or falling apart, a pinblock installed poorly at the factory, or a number of other problems can make it impossible for a tuner to tune your piano.

7. I'm thinking of selling my piano. Should I have it tuned?

Yes, unless you don't plan to let potential buyers play it. And not only should it be tuned, but you should have any sticky notes, squeaky pedals or other noises or problems taken care of. Unless you just plan on selling the piano to a dealer or rebuilder for wholesale (about 1/2 the current market value or less) the piano needs to sound and look its best. You will be competing directly with dealers whose pianos are generally well-prepped. Any piano that hasn't been tuned within three months can benefit from a tuning.

It might be different if the potential buyer doesn't play and is willing to just take your word that it's a good instrument. But usually people who don't play have a habit of bringing along someone who does, and then you will wish you'd had the piano tuned.

8. But won't someone buying my piano just have to have it tuned again when they get it home?

Usually, yes. But let's not put the cart before the horse. Before they take the piano home they first have to want to buy it, and that's why it needs to sound, and look, it's best in your home. -Because there are plenty of other pianos for sale out there that are in tune.

9. My tuner says my piano needs regulation. What is that, and why is it necessary?

Pianos are made of wood, wire, felt, and leather, among other things. There are literally hundreds of different felts in a piano. Over time, felt, and also leather, compresses, wears, and changes dimensionally. Hammers (the felts which strike the strings) wear and get grooves in them. Felts underneath the keys and in action parts get packed down. After a few years of regular playing, a piano needs to be readjusted to compensate for changes in the felts, and other wear on the action parts. The process of readjusting the action to restore it to it's factory settings is called regulation.

In regulating a piano, a piano technician usually performs numerous adjustments on each note. These adjustments affect how the keys feel when you play them and how sensitively the piano responds to your touch. Regulation may also affect how the piano sounds. If your piano isn't feeling as nice, or responding as well as it did when it was new, chances are it needs regulation. It may also need voicing (see below).

Regulation should usually be performed on a piano in normal use about every five to ten years. New pianos or ones that have been rebuilt will probably need regulation after the first six months to a year of use, because the new felts will be settling. On pianos for finicky artistic use or which get a lot of playing, regulation may need to be done more often. Regulation can be anything from a few touch up adjustments to a comprehensive restoration of all the factory settings. Usually regulation does not include parts replacement, but in order to do an effective regulation, a tuner or piano technician may have to replace felts or other parts that are worn unevenly or beyond their usefulness.

A touch-up or partial regulation may run anywhere from $50 to $200. A complete regulation may cost several hundred dollars or more on a finer grand.

10: My tuner says my piano needs voicing. What is that, and why is it necessary?

Voicing is a general term pertaining to a number of different repairs and adjustments performed on the piano to improve the sound quality or change it to suit customer tastes. Voicing may include hammer reshaping, hammer hardening or softening, aligning strings to hammers and/or hammers to strings, adjustment and/or repair of strings and their anchor points, and also tuning, and/or regulating. Generally, most voicing has to do with adjusting the hardness, softness, or shape of the hammers (the felts which strike the strings), and adjusting their relationship to the strings. Generally the basic principle is that harder hammers will cause a brighter, louder, brassier or more metallic sound, softer hammers will sound more subdued or mellow.

When a tuner or piano technician voices your piano, they will usually be making it brighter or mellower to suit your tastes. They also may be building the power and tone of the piano's sound, or evening out the sound from note to note, so that adjacent notes sound similar to their neighbors, and so that you can play a scale with even pressure on each key without some notes sounding too loud or others too soft. Voicing, like regulating, usually gives you more control over the sound, and makes it so that you don't have to either work excessively hard, or else "walk on eggs" in order to get the particular tone or dynamic (loudness or softness) you intend when you depress a given key.

A technician usually softens a hammer by piercing it or loosening the felt with needles. Hardening a hammer my be accomplished by sanding it, ironing it, or adding chemical hardeners.

Most pianos will need voicing when the hammer felt packs down, or when grooves appear, or when the hammers have become flattened or lose their shape from playing. Typically, though, voicing usually only ends up being done when the tuner brings it to the owner's attention, or when the owner is dissatisfied with the piano's tone, even after tuning. On many pianos, voicing and regulation are never performed because owners are not aware they need to ever do anything besides tuning. And unfortunately, many owners become dissatisfied with their pianos and dispose of them or buy new ones when all the piano needs is some regulation and voicing.

Voicing can cost anywhere from $25. to 50. for some touch-up voicing adjustments, to several hundred dollars for complete voicing adjustments including major hammer reshaping and realignment of action parts and strings.

11. What is hammer reshaping? Why and when is it necessary?

A piano's hammers are the felt assemblies which strike the piano's strings. Where hammers strike the strings on a piano, they develop string impressions, or grooves, over time. These grooves ultimately interfere with the hammers' ability to generate a pleasing tone. If the grooves have not become too deep, the hammers can be reshaped, by sanding or removing a layer of felt from the hammer's surface, restoring it to its original profile or shape (albeit smaller). Hammers can usually be reshaped a number of times, if the grooves have not been allowed to get too deep between reshapings. If the hammers have very deep grooves, however, or if the hammers have already been reshaped a number of times, the hammers will need to be replaced.

Hammer reshaping is a moderate expense. It may cost anywhere from $50. to $200, depending on how much reshaping is needed.

Hammer reshaping is often a necessary part of voicing.

12: What is rehammering? Why and when is it necessary?

Rehammering or hammer replacement is replacing the piano's hammers ( the felts which strike the strings), usually as a complete set. A piano's hammers are the felts subject to the greatest wear, much like the tires on a car. After so many years of use, they wear out, and need to be replaced. If a piano gets only occasional use, or not more than a few hours a week, the hammers may not need to be replaced for many years. Pianos in higher usage situations, such as in a practice room, recording studio, or teacher's studio, may need to have the hammers replaced as often as every 5 to 10 years.

If a piano's hammers are simply grooved, but there is still sufficient felt left, they may be reshaped. Depending on the depth of the grooves and the amount of felt left, this may be done a number of times. See hammer reshaping, above.

Rehammering a piano is generally considered a major expense, in part because there are a number of operations that need to be performed along with it to restore the piano to it's original factory settings. In addition, parts connected to the hammers (called shanks, flanges, and knuckles) often need to be replaced at the same time. At the minimum, when a piano receives a new set of hammers, it will need to be reregulated and revoiced. Unfortunately, this is not always done, resulting in an instrument that does not sound as good as it could, or what it sounded like originally. Hammer replacement or rehammering may cost anywhere from several hundred to two or three thousand dollars, depending on the type of piano and how much associated work needs to be done.

13. What is restringing? Why and when is it necessary?

Restringing is the replacement of the piano's strings, usually as a complete set. A piano is generally restrung when the strings get worn out and/or lose their tone due to a number of possible reasons. The point at which this happens varies from piano to piano and depends on a variety of factors, including how much the piano gets used, the type of environment it's kept in, and the quality of the strings themselves (how well they were made) and how they were handled (or mishandled) in installation. If the strings are high quality to begin with, and have not been exposed to adverse conditions such as excessive moisture or dust, and have not been played more than a few hours a week or had more than occasional use, they may still sound good after 50 yrs. or more. If the piano has had heavy use, or exposure to adverse climatic conditions, the strings may lose their tone in as little as 10 years. When your piano stops sounding as deep and rich or resonant as it once did, when bass strings start to sound dead or tubby and the overall sound becomes tinny and thin, then then it's probably time to consider restringing.

Strings can become stretch-hardened from heavy use, or repeated tunings, or they can become rusty or oxidized from exposure to excessive humidity or moisture. Airborne dust can lodge in the windings of bass strings and cause them to go dead or tubby over time. Windings of bass strings frequently come loose. Careless handling at the factory or rebuilder's can cause strings to have twists or kink in them that can ruin the string from the start. And every now and then the piano maker will get a bad batch of wire from the string manufacturer. Usually this is caught and sent back, but not always.

In addition, if a piano's tuning pins have become loose in the pinblock, it's usually standard procedure to replace the strings along with the tuning pins and/or pinblock. Whenever work is done on any part of the piano (such as the soundboard or the bridges) that cannot be accessed without removing the strings, all the strings are usually replaced as well.

When a piano is restrung, it usually needs to be re-regulated and re-voiced as well (see regulation and voicing, above). Unfortunately, this is not always done, resulting in an instrument that is not what it could be.

To keep costs down, sometimes a piano will be only partially restrung and only the bass strings will be replaced, because bass strings tend to go bad faster than treble strings. Most often though, if the bass strings have gone bad, the treble strings will have lost a significant amount of their tone as well.

Usually only pianos that are high quality or valuable are restrung, as restringing is a major expense that must be justified against the ultimate value of the instrument. Restringing, along with all the related repairs, can often cost from one to several thousand dollars, depending on the piano and its specific needs.

14. How should I prepare for a technician to visit my home and what should I expect from the technician when he/she is there?

Suggestions for what you should do when a piano technician visits:

Keep your appointment. It courteous to pay a technician if you miss appointment, since the technician has already had to make the trip and quite possibly turned down other work so that they could take your appointment.

Respect the technician's space. While most technician's love children and dogs just like anyone else, they do have a job to do and other appointments to meet after yours. Be sure that children and pets are kept away from the tuner and his/her tools while they are doing work on your piano. Some things in the technician's tool box are not meant for curious toddlers or pets, who may accidentally hurt themselves on sharp tools, or swallow something they weren't meant to while the technician's back is turned.

Remove items from on top of the piano. It will be necessary for the technician to open the lid of the piano, whether it is a grand or an upright, in order to get inside to tune it or inspect it. Please remove all pictures, throw rugs, plants (they shouldn't be on the piano anyway), and other paraphernalia so that the tuner can gain access to the piano's insides. It is better for you to remove these things beforehand than for the technician to have to try and do it: he/she is not familiar with them and may accidentally drop or damage something of value to you, causing an embarrassing situation for both of you. Also, when the technician is done, please don't expect him/her to put everything back in place. The technician may offer to do so, but kindly refrain from accepting the offer, unless, of course, you are handicapped or otherwise at a disadvantage. You know far better than the technician where everything goes.

Provide ample light in the room. The technician will need to be able to clearly see the finish of the piano, the parts inside and underneath in order to complete their inspection and to tune a piano. If there is no electricity in the area, make sure to tell the technician. If possible have a bright or large flashlight on hand.

Make sure that there is space around the piano. For both an tuning and an inspection, some piano disassembly is often needed. On a grand piano, a technician will need to remove the action from the piano, which will involve sitting at a bench and pulling the action out of the piano. This requires about 4 feet of space between the keyboard and a wall or any furniture. He/she will also need to see the entire cabinet to look for defects. You can expect him/her to crawl under the piano to take measurements, remove the music rack to test the tuning pins and to remove the fallboard and cheekblocks to remove the action. A grand piano must be set up on its legs to be inspected or tuned. It cannot be on it's side. On an upright piano, the technician will remove various panels to see inside and will need to see the back of the piano as well. The technician will reassemble the piano when the inspection or tuning is complete.

Pay the technician the agreed upon fee before he/she leaves.

When the technician is tuning your piano....

Try to make sure it is as quiet as possible in the house, or at the minimum, in the room where the piano is, when the tuner comes. This is critical because the tuner needs quiet in order to be able to hear very subtle vibrations among the pianos strings, and to do the best possible tuning for you. If you have children running through the house, the stereo playing, the TV blaring (even if it's in another room), the vacuum cleaner running, construction going on, dogs barking, or other loud noises, it may make it difficult or impossible for the tuner to do his/her job.

About your piano and piano tuning...

Your piano may need more than one tuning. Piano tunings should be done every 6 to 12 months. New pianos or recently restrung pianos usually need 4 tunings the first year. If your piano has not been kept in regular tune, it is possible it will need two tunings the day the tuner comes. This is because when a piano is out of tune for a long time, the strings stretch. A technician cannot bring all the strings up to pitch in one pass without risking a crack in the plate, so he/she often times will need to tune the piano in two passes. This is called a pitch raise and a tune. If the tuner tells you that your piano will need two tunings, expect to pay for both on that day. There is no other way to get your piano back into tune. Also, if it has been a years between tunings, it is likely your piano will go out of tune more quickly and you will need the tuner to come back within the next few months to tune it once more, until it stabilizes.

Strings can break during a piano tuning. If your piano has very brittle strings, either because they have been exposed to excess humidity or are over 40 years old, strings may break while the tuner is tuning. This is not the tuner's fault. It means that the string was too brittle to be brought up to pitch. Sometimes new strings can break because they have flaws in them. If the tuner only breaks a few strings while tuning, then they can usually fix them on the spot by putting a special kind of knot in the string. If the tuner feels the piano cannot be tuned without too many strings breaking, they may tell you that you need new strings or if the piano is new, that it needs warranty work.

Some pianos can't hold a tune without extensive rebuilding. The strings on your piano are held in tune by a pinblock. This is a laminated piece of wood that is very strong that is installed under the plate and into which all the tuning pins are driven. A tuner can tell if a piano's pinblock needs replacing in order for the piano to hold a tune. The tuner can usually tell by how loose the tuning pins are, whether the tune is likely to hold. He/she will inform you if it is not possible to tune your piano.

If your piano is not tuneable, you will still need to pay the tuner for the visit. If your tuner informs you the piano cannot be tuned, it would be best to ask for an inspection instead of the tuning you had planned on. An inspection requires an entirely different process and is not usually done during a tuning. But, if the tuner cannot tune the piano, then an inspection is very important to have so that you can know what to do, how much it will cost and what condition your piano is in.

This FAQ is from: Cincinnati Piano Tuning (tm)