How long does a piano stay in tune?
It depends on several factors, but humidity is the primary one. Pianos are extremely sensitive to changes in the environment; particularly fluctuations in humidity. When the humidity rises so will a piano's pitch (it goes sharp). Likewise, the pitch drops (goes flat) when the humidity decreases.
The key to tuning stability is a stable humidity level. An acceptable humidity level can range anywhere from 35% to 55%, but the important point is to maintain humidity at a constant level year round. If you can maintain that level at, say, 45% all the time, you will experience very little tuning instability.
See Humidity Control for more information on how to help you accomplish this.
How often should I have my piano tuned?
Most piano manufacturers recommend tuning a piano at least twice each year. Tuning frequency depends on the piano's usage, how hard it is played, environmental conditions (see above) and how discerning your ears are.
Before a concert a piano may be tuned two or three times. In a recording studio it may be tuned daily. Many universities with music departments have their main performance piano tuned weekly.
A good rule of thumb is to have your piano tuned at least once each year. Or more if your ears tell you that it's time!
Is there anything I need to do before having my piano tuned?
It's helpful to remove any objects off the top of your piano, since the lid has to be opened before the piano can be tuned. Also, ensure that there is a minimal amount of noise. The more quiet the environment...the better the tuning will be.
What if I haven't had my piano tuned in a long time?
It's not uncommon that pianos are left untuned for 15, 20, 30 (or even more!) years. Fortunately, most pianos can be brought back to the correct pitch, but it will require additional tunings. These additional tunings are called "pitch raises" which is explained in the following FAQ.
On older pianos there are some risks involved when performing a pitch raise. The primary one is that a string or two can break which can result in an additional expense for string replacement. Also, if the tuning pins are not tight enough the piano won't hold its tune. And while there is a remedy for this (unless the pinblock is cracked), it is another additional expense which, depending on the piano, may not be worth it.
What is a pitch raise and why do I need one?
If a piano has not been tuned regularly, the strings (which are under a tremendous amount of tension...about 28 tons of tension on a concert grand) will slowly lose that tension. When the piano finally does get tuned the strings have to be tightened much more than a normal tuning would require. The increased tension makes the strings unstable and they immediately start to go flat again...although not as much as they originally were. The piano cannot be fine-tuned until all the strings are fairly close to the correct pitch.
What does tuning to A440 mean?
You may hear the phrase "Tuned to A440" and wonder what it means. The "A" refers to the A note above middle C and the 440 is how many times per second the string vibrates when struck by a piano hammer. The vast majority of pianos are tuned to this pitch, but there is really nothing special about it. Over a hundred years ago there was no agreed upon "standard" pitch, but sometime early in the 20th century it was determined that everyone would tune to A440 (that's a bit of an oversimplification, but that's the gist of it). Even today some orchestras (particularly in Europe) will tune to A442 or A443.
What is regulation?
There are thousands of parts in a piano action that, over many years, begin to wear and compact. (The "action" is a single unit that can be removed from the piano and contains most of the moving parts.) Most of those parts are made of wood, cloth and felt (wool) and over time get out of adjustment. Regulating the action is simply readjusting these parts so they work smoothly together once again.
For most pianos, this is necessary only every 10 years or so.
What is voicing?
Voicing refers to the "voice" of the piano hammer. After years of play the hammers will become hard and compacted and sound bright, harsh and sometimes have an unpleasant metallic tone. Voicing the hammer will soften the tone and make it sound more pleasing (a lot will depend on the quality of the hammers; low quality hammers can never be voiced to sound pleasing).
Also, hammers will eventually become grooved which also affects their tone. At this point they can be filed so they have close to the same shape as when they were new.
What causes keys to stick?
There are many reasons for sticking keys; among them are: tight key bushings, sluggish hammers, high humidity levels, sluggish jack action centers, a hammer rubbing against a neighboring hammer, etc. In most cases the cause is usually simple and can easily be remedied at the tuning appointment.
How should I clean my piano?
The best way is to simply use a slightly damp cotton or microfiber cloth. Wipe a section at a time and then immediately follow that with a dry cloth of the same type. NEVER use furniture polish!
Clean the keytops (both black and white) with the same method. If the keys have a great deal of grime on them then put a very small drop of dish detergent on the cloth. Again, make sure the cloth is only slightly damp...you don't want water running down between the keys.