How often should my piano be tuned?

All manufacturers recommend regular tunings to keep the piano sounding good and working properly each time you sit down to play.

We recommend that your technician be called at least three or four times a year. You, however, are the final judge and should have the piano tuned as often as you think necessary. To put the matter of tuning into perspective, remember that a concert piano is tuned before every performance, and a piano in a professional recording studio, where it is in constant use, is tuned three or four times each week as a matter of course. 
- Steinway & Sons (Piano Technicians Guild)

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1. What is piano tuning?

Tuning is the adjustment of the tension of all of your piano's 220 (or more) strings to the correct pitch or frequency. This ensures that notes played in a musical interval (octaves, chords, etc.) will sound in harmony. (The Piano Technicians Guild, Inc.)

2. Why does a piano need to be tuned?

Season change is the leading factor that causes a piano to go out of tune. As humidity levels fluctuate, a piano's sound board, the main acoustic structure, contracts and expands causing string tension to vary.

3. How often should I have my piano tuned?

Usually every six months for normal use. If your piano gets played a lot, you might need more frequent tunings, like every two or three months. Ideally your ear should be your guide. If some of the notes or chords on your piano are sounding "sour," it's probably time to call the tuner.

4. How long does a tuning appointment take?

A standard tuning appointment usually takes approximately an hour and a half. More time may be required for additional service requests.

5. I'm thinking of selling my piano. Should I have it tuned?

Yes, unless you don't plan to let potential buyers play it. And not only should it be tuned, but you should have any sticky notes, squeaky pedals or other noises or problems taken care of. Unless you just plan on selling the piano to a dealer or rebuilder for wholesale, the piano needs to sound and look its best.

6. Does a piano need tuning after it's moved?

It depends. It's the climate change associated with the move, rather than the actual move itself, that makes pianos go out of tune. A substantial difference in humidity between its previous location and its new home will change the shape of the piano's soundboard, changing tension on the strings. Even moving a piano from one room to another in the same building can affect it if heating or air-conditioning patterns are different. Pianos need periodic tuning whether they are moved or not, so it's likely that a piano that has just been moved was already due for tuning before the move. If so, it's best to let the piano adjust to its new environment for a week or two, then have it tuned.

7. How should I prepare for a technician to visit my home?

Remove items from the top of the piano. The technician will need to open the lid of the piano, whether it is a grand or an upright, in order to tune or inspect it. Be sure to plan that small children and pets will be kept away from piano and its surrounding area while the tuning is taking place. A technician's tool box contains many potentially dangerous tools that, for safety's sake, are best kept out of reach of curious toddlers and pets. Provide ample light in the room. The technician will need to be able to clearly see the parts inside in order to complete their inspection and to tune a piano.

8. What should I expect from the technician when he is there?

In order for the piano tuner to do the best possible job for you, be sure it is as quiet as possible in the room where the piano is when he comes. This is critical because the tuner needs quiet in order to be able to hear very subtle vibrations among the pianos strings. If there is a lot of background noise, it will make it difficult for the tuner to do his job

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