A well-tuned piano is simply more fun to play
Whether your piano is used for lessons, church services, family music, recording, or quiet practice at home, regular tuning helps it sound clear, stable, and musical.
With so many piano makes, models, sizes, and eras, every instrument has its own context. I enjoy learning about that context so I can tune with careful attention to the character of the piano in front of me.
When a piano is very out of tune
Sometimes a piano that has gone a long time without tuning needs extra attention to become stable after tuning. When a piano is brought back up to pitch, the strings, soundboard, bridges, and overall structure are adjusting to a higher level of tension than they have held for some time. At first, the tuning may naturally want to drift back toward where the piano had settled.
A common countermeasure to this is called a pitch raise. In a same-day pitch raise, the piano is first brought roughly closer to pitch, then tuned more carefully afterward. This helps the instrument begin adjusting to the new tension and can improve short-term stability, but will cost more because it is extra tuning work within the same appointment.
In many cases, I prefer a steadier long-term approach: a careful tuning now, followed by another tuning 2–4 weeks later after the piano has had time to settle. This gives the instrument more time to adjust and often leads to a more stable result.
If time is limited – for example, for a performance, recording, or event – we can discuss whether a same-day pitch raise makes sense.
Frequently asked questions
Most piano manufacturers recommend a tuning every 6 months. Pianos used heavily by musicians or for lessons, events, or performance benefit from more frequent tuning.
Not necessarily. It may take more than one tuning to achieve stability, but the first step is simply getting it assessed and moving in the right direction!
A tuning improves pitch and musical clarity, but it does not fix mechanical issues like sticky keys, sluggish touch, pedal problems, buzzing, or uneven key response.
Yes! I start with a no-pressure look at the piano before any work is done. I’ll assess how far the piano has drifted from pitch, check general tuning stability, and look for obvious issues like loose tuning pins, string rust, or other conditions that could affect the tuning result.