It is advisable to get your piano tuned every six months if you use it on a regular basis. This is because there are factors not within our control that causes a piano to get out of tune. Such factors include the change in the humidity or temperature in the room where the piano is stored. Other factors also include the slipping of the tuning pins and regular usage.
As mentioned, a piano should be tuned at least twice a year if it is constantly being used. Do take note that if it used on a daily basis, it might require to be tuned up to four times a year. However, if it is rarely used, then tuning it once a year would be more than enough. Ultimately, the amount of piano usage and the surrounding environmental conditions will play a role in determining the required number of tuning.
If you decide on tuning the piano on your own instead of hiring a professional, here are some guidelines that you can follow. Firstly, you would be required to have proper tools in order to complete such a task. These tools can be bought online or from a piano shop. They are an assorted set of rubber tuning wedges, a flashlight, and an electronic tuner. Before you start, always bare in mind that piano strings are easily breakable. Also, the entire process requires you to be slow and cautious to avoid from damaging your piano.
A standard piano has a total of eighty eight keys. However, you will soon realise that they are more than two hundred strings. In the top of the piano, there are three strings per note and in the top of the bass section, there are two strings per note. When a note has either two or three attached strings, all of them need to vibrate at the same frequency. Begin with the middle octave, which is “C, and search for the strings that this piano key strikes. Focus on one string at a time.
Next, find the pin that turns the string that you wish to tune. Insert a rubber tuning wedge in to prevent vibrations from other strings. Now, repeatedly hit the piano key while using your tuner to find out if the string is out of tune, and by how much. Turn the pin slowly till it shows that the string is now in tune. It would wise to turn the pin a little first and allow it to rest awhile to prevent it from breaking. Remember to hit the piano key hard because if you were to hit the key softly, the piano will jump out of tune the first time once someone sits down and plays it hard.
Repeat this process for the remaining keys. Do take note that tuning a piano will normally take an hour to two. For more information, you can read it here. Piano Lessons SG is a school that caters to private lessons. We can either have the lessons conducted at your own home or that of the teacher. For more on our piano lessons, please check out our website.