Question 1

How often should my piano be tuned?

Accepted Answer

Your piano should be tuned a minimum of 2 times a year. The wood of the piano expands and contracts as the weather changes, so it's good to schedule the appointments every 6 months. Just like your car needs its oil changed regularly to stay in good shape, your piano needs a tuning to make sure it remains in the best condition it can be.

Question 2

Why does my piano go out of tune?

Accepted Answer

There are many factors that affect a piano's tuning: how often the piano is played, how old it is, and most common are environmental factors such as humidity and weather, as well as how much direct sunlight is hitting it.

Question 3

How come my piano sounds metallic or harsh?

Accepted Answer

This is where voicing comes in. Voicing is the art of adjusting the felt on the hammers that hit the strings. If the piano has a harsh, metallicy sound, it likely means the felt has become too compact from being played a lot. This is a fairly easy fix.

Question 4

How come my piano sounds soft even when I hit the key really hard?

Accepted Answer

If a piano sounds too soft, it could mean the hammer is not hitting the strings consistently probably because the screw isn't tight enough, so it is not hitting the strings in the same place every time you hit the note. This should be fixed by a professional piano technician, do not attempt to tighten the screw yourself, as there are many screws in a piano action and you don't want to tighten the incorrect one.

Question 5

What is regulation?

Accepted Answer

Regulation is adjusting the many parts of the mechanism to ensure the piano sounds, feels, and plays the best it can. It is good to have your piano regulated every few years to make sure that the parts are working properly and that there's no wear happening that could actually damage the piano. All in all, regulation expands the life of the piano. Just like you get a tune up of your car after thousands of miles, you should have your piano "tuned up" to keep it going.

Question 6

I just bought a piano and it was just moved into my house...now what?

Accepted Answer

Congrats!! You're going to love this big, beautiful instrument! Believe it or not, pianos need to acclimate to new environments just like a new pet does. It's recommended to have the piano tuned after two weeks of being in your home, and potentially a month or two after that just to be sure that the piano is stabalized.

Question 7

I can clean the outside of the piano, but what about the inside?"

Accepted Answer

The inside of the piano can certainly be cleaned-- it's actually recommended to have it cleaned. This is because there are several thousand moving parts in the piano and we want to make sure they stay in the best condition possible, not being corroded by dust, coins, hair pins, or other household items! It is best to call a professional to clean the inside of the piano because she will have the correct tools to clean the inside. Make this part of your routine piano care every time your piano technician comes for a tuning.

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