Prime Piano

You need to consider several variables to determine how often you should tune your piano. The condition of your piano, how often you play it, and the weather changes it experiences all influence those variables.

1. If the piano is used for commercial purposes, such as in a hotel or bar where it is played daily and subjected to a heavier workload, it should be tuned and serviced every 3–4 months.
2. If you have a house piano—meaning a piano in your home that you play regularly—and it remains in good condition, you should tune your piano at least every 6 months to prevent unchecked wear and tear and to ensure it stays in good condition and at standard tuning at all times.

A little listening and observation

In general, when your piano is not producing a clear sound, or you hear multiple sounds when pressing just one key at a time, especially in the middle register and high register of the piano, your piano already needs tuning.

1. An acoustic piano that is not properly and regularly maintained can present more problems in the long run. Unchecked wear and tear can develop in the piano’s mechanism, and if it is not addressed in time, repairs may be costly or, in some cases, no longer possible.
2. It can put your acoustic piano in a “Sub-standard Tuning” state. This means that your piano’s tuning can slip lower than the Standard 440 tuning if not monitored by regular tuning and maintenance. If your piano’s tuning is way under the Standard 440 tuning, your piano’s tuning stability can be compromised, and it might be necessary for multiple piano tuning sessions to get your piano’s tuning stability back into place.

Yes — for musical quality and nuanced stretch tuning, a skilled aural tuner often produces superior-sounding results than someone relying solely on digital gear. Read more about “Aural vs Digital“.

There are things that a piano tuner should take into consideration when tuning a piano. For example, one must consider the location of the piano, the acoustics of the venue, and the harmonics. A skilled piano tuner can also detect these issues with good listening skills. Whereas a digital piano tuning meter might not. Therefore, a good piano tuner must have good hearing and listening skills. He must also have the proper piano tuning technique. Otherwise, he might just be doing more harm than good to your piano. He should also be able to answer any questions you may have about your piano. Therefore, you must choose your piano tuner carefully.

Have the piano serviced and tuned by an independent professional piano tuner before selling/buying a second-hand piano. This way, you can have an unbiased assessment of the actual health and condition of the piano. Tuning the piano before selling or buying puts it in its best condition. You can then appraise the selling/buying price depending on the best condition of the used or second-hand piano.