Quality piano maintenance involves so much more than tuning. With over 10,000 parts, the modern piano is by far the most complicated musical instrument. With an instrument this complicated, a different approach is necessary. Quality piano maintenance addresses three essential areas: Tuning, Regulation, and Voicing.
My Service Philosophy
I structure my service appointment to reflect the interdependence of these essential areas. By scheduling a service appointment, I commit to you a full 90 minute appointment time. During the service appointment, my goals are to produce best possible tuning, refine the pianos regulation, and address any minor voicing inconsistencies.
How Often Should I Tune My Piano?
Your piano is an investment in your future. It can bring you and your family a lifetime of music, adding immeasurable joy and beauty to your home.
Manufacturers can provide general advice on tuning frequency, but your personal frequency depends on your own use and expectations of your instrument. Generally speaking, manufactures recommend as many as three to five services per year for the initial years of a new piano’s life. After this initial break-in period, manufactures typically recommend two services per year.
Your personal frequency depends several factors including the type and age of the piano, the piano’s environment, your sensitivity to the piano’s tuning, and your overall expectations for the piano. Given the fluctuating climate of Southeastern Pennsylvania, I often recommend an average of 2-3 tuning services per year, but at a minimum, I recommend at least one service per year. Regular tuning service will help to maintain your instrument throughout the changing seasons. If you do elect to service your piano only once a year, I recommend scheduling the service within the season that the piano will be used the most (i.e. the holidays).
Environmental Considerations
Your piano contains materials such as wood and felt, which are subject to change with climatic conditions. Extreme swings from hot to cold or dry to wet cause its materials to swell and contract, affecting tone, pitch, and action response or touch. You can reduce the severity of these effects by placing your piano near a wall away from windows or doors that are opened frequently. Avoid heating and air conditioning vents, fireplaces and areas which receive direct sunlight. Your piano will perform best under consistent conditions neither too wet nor dry, optimally at a temperature of 68 degrees F and 42 percent relative humidity.