It can be challenging to explain the science of piano technology because it’s such a niche field of expertise. I’ve always reminded clients and potential clients that pianos need to be tuned at least annually. When I explain why, I have always talked about the “why” in terms of pitch itself and its relationship with relative humidity. I’ve realized over the years, that explaining in terms of pitch can be misleading and confusing for some.
“Oh, I haven’t had my piano tuned. I guess it probably needs tuning.”
“I haven’t had my piano tuned in X years, but it holds a tune really well.”
“Well, we don’t play it right now, so I don’t see the point in getting it tuned right now.”
“I haven’t had the piano tuned, but it sounds really good to me!”
In instances such as these, I talk about pianos as a structure that simply requires ongoing maintenance. It’s like an HVAC unit or furnace that needs a service call every year. It’s like getting oil changes in your car. The car may be running fine, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t need the oil changed every 5000 miles. Pianos need ongoing maintenance, as well, or they start to not function optimally and eventually they don’t work at all. In terms of a piano being tuned regularly, DON’T USE YOUR EAR to determine if/when it needs to be tuned. It simply does. At least once per year. That’s the science of it. It doesn’t matter if it’s played, moved, or sounds ok to you. It needs tuning. The reason is not just about pitch. Of course, a big part of it is so the piano sounds good. However, it’s also about the structure of the piano. Pianos hold approximately 18 tons of pressure being exerted by the stretched steel strings within a piano. The average piano string is under about 160 pounds of tension and there are 230 strings inside a typical piano. To put that simply, the stretched strings are constantly trying to break the piano in half by pulling downward. Anything that is constantly under that much tension will weaken and stretch even when not used. In order to maintain the integrity of the structure that holds all of that tension, pianos need to be tuned regularly so that the piano doesn’t undergo large changes in that tension all at once. It should stay as close to the same as much as possible. The longer a piano goes without tuning, the more the strings stretch and weaken, and then tuning it drastically pulls that tension in the other direction which isn’t good for the piano’s structure or tuning stability.
When you get a piano, whether it’s the purchase of a new one, a used one, or it’s been gifted to you from family, it’s an ongoing investment. For a piano to maintain its tunability, quality, and value, it has to be serviced at least once per year.
