Tuning

All stringed instruments require tuning due the strings stretching and going lower in pitch as well as the wood expanding and contracting with temperature and humidity changes. Unlike a violin or guitar however, the average piano has about 225 strings, all of which need to be in perfect harmony for the instrument to sound its best. 

The tuning process also involves setting the correct pitch, which is referred to as “A440”. This tone is used to set the middle “A” note in the keyboard to 440 HZ (vibrations per second) and then extrapolate the correct tuning for all the remaining 88 notes. 

Even a perfectly tuned piano can still sound quite bad if it is not properly “voiced” and “regulated”. You can read more about this in the REGULATION and VOICING section.

For casual home use we will generally tune the piano every 6-12 months depending on use. We have many serious pianists that we service much more frequently, and for concerts, pianos get tuned twice for each and every show, once before rehearsal/soundcheck and again just before the performance.