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Spring Tune-up?
Is it too late to tune your piano this spring? Maybe yes and maybe no.
As the seasons change, so does the tuning of your piano. The rising humidity of the spring and summer months causes the pitch of the piano to rise. The falling humidity of the fall and winter causes the pitch of the piano to drop. And unfortunately, the pitch does not change uniformly across the keyboard. Some pianos change a little, some seem to change a lot. Some pianos seem to recover their tuning when the season in which they were last tuned rolls around again. Other pianos are not nearly so co-operative. What is a piano owner to do?
Fortunately, there are guidelines to help you make a decision. Here are some of the most useful:
- If the piano has not been tuned in a few years, it will usually need an initial and a follow-up tuning for the best results. If the piano is not sounding satisfying now, the first tuning will not be wasted, no matter what the season in which you have it done.
- If you have a regulated humidity control system installed in your piano, such as the Piano Lifesaver System from Damppchaser, you can tune just about any time, though you might consider avoiding the periods of highest humidity in the summer.
- If your piano is going to see a fair bit of use during the summer, get it tuned if it begins to sound like it needs it, even if it means tuning again in the fall. Piano playing is supposed to be enjoyable!
- If you are in the habit of having the piano tuned on an annual basis, and the piano is not being used much during the summer months, it is probably better to have it tuned toward the beginning of the school year, rather than toward the end. It might be best to wait, unless the sound of the piano has become objectionable
It is also useful to realize that it takes time for a piano to respond to a change in humidity. Think of the change in the piano as trailing the change in its environment by about a month. In light of this, tuning in April and on into May can make sense in many cases.
In any case, Floyd Gadd, piano technician, is happy to be of service. Contact him today to discuss your piano servicing needs.
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