How Often Should I Tune My Piano?

A professional piano tuner can make a huge difference to the ongoing enjoyment of your piano as you practice, learn or simply play for pleasure. Over time, you’ll need the tuner to visit regularly to adjust your piano and keep it sounding as good as new.

In this article, we’ll run through everything you need to know about having your piano tuned, whether it’s a brand new piano or an older one. We’ll also look at why it’s important to have someone inspect your piano for other problems.

Keeping Your Piano In Tune

Pianos go out of tune for a variety of reasons, and no instrument will stay perfectly in tune without maintenance. Moving a piano will affect its tuning because of the change in temperature in different rooms, and the piano will obviously go out of tune if it’s subject to any impact while being moved.

Your piano’s pitch can even be affected by something simple like sunlight streaming through a window. Humidity will cause the wooden casing of your piano to gently flex, and central heating will also take its toll in winter. If you play every day, your piano will shift out of tune more quickly than it would if you only played occasionally.

Piano Workshop recommends that all pianos be tuned every six months; you may wish to time your tunings so that our technician visits after the season has changed and the temperature has shifted. If you’re not sure how often your piano needs to be tuned, ask in store for advice. Some manufacturers issue recommendations for tuning and ongoing maintenance of their pianos.

Additional Benefits of Professional Tuning

Piano Workshop’s piano specialists carry out tuning and maintenance tasks, so they’re the ideal people to service and maintain your piano.

In between tunings, we recommend that your piano is positioned well away from anything that will cause obvious shifts in humidity or temperature. Your piano tuner can help you choose a spot where your piano won’t be affected by open windows, heaters or stoves.

Before choosing a piano tuner, check with the Piano Tuners Association (PTA) to ensure they’re registered. This will give you peace of mind that the tuner has experience and/or qualifications.

What If I Don’t Play My Piano?

Some pianos are used ornamentally, or are passed down through the family but rarely played. If your piano isn’t being used, continue to have it tuned to keep the strings in good condition. Tuning is more affordable than replacement strings.

Your tuner can also spot any maintenance tasks before more serious problems develop with the piano. In general, if the action and keys are looked after, you’re less likely to need expensive repairs in the future.

Arranging Piano Tuning in London

Set aside some time to have your piano tuned by our Piano Workshop specialists. Our trained, qualified tuners service, maintain and tune pianos in the Surrey and south London areas. If you’d like to get a quote and arrange for a tuner to visit, contact Piano Workshop today.