Tuning
What are the benefits of tuning my piano?
Tuning your piano not only makes it sound better, it also helps keep your piano in good condition
so that it may be playable for many years to come. Pianos are made of organic materials (mostly
wood and metal) which are extremely sensitive to and susceptible to environmental changes in
humidity and temperature. These elements can cause a piano to go out of tune rapidly, and if left
unserviced, can cause a piano become unplayable. The best way to combat this is to have a
piano technician regularly service your piano. It's a small price to pay to keep your valuable
investment worth every penny you paid!
How often should my piano be tuned?
It depends on how much you want out of your instrument. If you play your piano regularly or have
a more sensitive ear, it is recommeded that you have your piano tuned more often than the casual
piano player. In high performance situations, I've tuned the same piano more than once in a day!
Here in Chicago (where fluctuations of humidty and temperature are frequent and drastic) it is
recommended that you have you piano tuned at least twice per year--once during the humid
summer climate, and once during the dry winter climate.
How do you tune a piano?
Tuning is done by adjusting the tension of the strings at the tuning pins. I use a special "tuning
hammer" that fits over the pins to make these adjustments. The method I use, Open String Tuning
(or sometimes called Whole Tone Tuning), is an advanced tuning technique that helps me produce
superior results. Even some of today's most accomplished piano technicians cannot successfully
execute this technique. Each note has three strings, I mute all but one of these strings and tune it
to its optimal place. Then, unmuting the second string, I tune the unison. Finally, unmuting the
third string I complete the unison. I then move along to the next note, using the "open string" note I
just tuned as a reference to get the best consonant sound across the entire keyboard. Careful
attention is given in making sure that the temperament is correct (a series of notes in the
mid-range of the piano spanning about an octave that are meticulously tuned so that all intervals
and pitches are exactly correct), then the rest of the piano is tuned using the temperament as a
reference. I also take special care to make the piano as stable as possible. This is done with a
variety of techniques to set the pin.
Do you tune by ear?
No, I tune by hand! :)
Yes. While many technicians choose to use an electronic device to tune pianos, I prefer to tune
aurally. I use a tuning fork that has been carefully calibrated to produce the pitch "A" at 440Hz
(A440), match the note A4 on the piano to it, and tune the rest of the piano from there.
Is tuning aurally as accurate as tuning using an electronic device?
Yes! Many factors go into tuning a piano correctly, many of which cannot always be correctly
predicted and adjusted for with electronic devices. Electronic tuning devices (ETDs) measure the
pitch of only one string of a unison once before calculating where it thinks it should go. I listen to
soundscape of all three strings and constantly go back to reference where the notes are to create
a better, more pleasing sound. I've find that no matter how "perfect" an electronically calculated
tuning may be, an aurally tuned piano can sound more musical. The human ear is the final judge
of whether a piano is really in tune or not, not a machine.
What is "pitch raising"?
Pitch raising is the term technicians use to describe the task of pulling the tension of the strings
back to the correct pitch when a piano is extremely flat (or sometimes extremely sharp). Pitch
raising is generally necessary when the piano is more than ~4Hz away from correct pitch.
Unfortunately, the very process of pitch raising introduces instability to a piano. As each string is
pulled up to correct tension, the plate tension shifts and other strings' tension changes, throwing
the piano out of tune again. Pitch raising takes several tunings until the piano is close to pitch and
stable. This is why you want to keep your piano regularly tuned--so that pitch raising would not be
necessary! Please visit this link on the Piano Technicians Guild website for further information
about pitch raising: http://www.ptg.org/resources-pianoOwners-pitchRaise.php
How can I keep my piano stable?
Pianos go out of tune no matter what you may try to do to keep yours stable. But here are a few
tips to keep it as stable as it can possibly be: Keep your piano in as consistent of an environment
as possible. This means that the more stable the environment, the more stable your piano will be.
Try to maintain a regular humidity level--run a de-humidifier in the summer, keep the piano away
from humid rooms like the bathroom or kitchen. Try to maintain a constant temperature throughout
the year. Keep the piano away from bay windows where it would be bombarded by direct sunlight.
Cover the piano when it is not in use. Most of all, have it regularly serviced by a professional piano
technician.
What do you charge to tune a piano?
Please see Pricing.
Tuning your piano not only makes it sound better, it also helps keep your piano in good condition
so that it may be playable for many years to come. Pianos are made of organic materials (mostly
wood and metal) which are extremely sensitive to and susceptible to environmental changes in
humidity and temperature. These elements can cause a piano to go out of tune rapidly, and if left
unserviced, can cause a piano become unplayable. The best way to combat this is to have a
piano technician regularly service your piano. It's a small price to pay to keep your valuable
investment worth every penny you paid!
How often should my piano be tuned?
It depends on how much you want out of your instrument. If you play your piano regularly or have
a more sensitive ear, it is recommeded that you have your piano tuned more often than the casual
piano player. In high performance situations, I've tuned the same piano more than once in a day!
Here in Chicago (where fluctuations of humidty and temperature are frequent and drastic) it is
recommended that you have you piano tuned at least twice per year--once during the humid
summer climate, and once during the dry winter climate.
How do you tune a piano?
Tuning is done by adjusting the tension of the strings at the tuning pins. I use a special "tuning
hammer" that fits over the pins to make these adjustments. The method I use, Open String Tuning
(or sometimes called Whole Tone Tuning), is an advanced tuning technique that helps me produce
superior results. Even some of today's most accomplished piano technicians cannot successfully
execute this technique. Each note has three strings, I mute all but one of these strings and tune it
to its optimal place. Then, unmuting the second string, I tune the unison. Finally, unmuting the
third string I complete the unison. I then move along to the next note, using the "open string" note I
just tuned as a reference to get the best consonant sound across the entire keyboard. Careful
attention is given in making sure that the temperament is correct (a series of notes in the
mid-range of the piano spanning about an octave that are meticulously tuned so that all intervals
and pitches are exactly correct), then the rest of the piano is tuned using the temperament as a
reference. I also take special care to make the piano as stable as possible. This is done with a
variety of techniques to set the pin.
Do you tune by ear?
No, I tune by hand! :)
Yes. While many technicians choose to use an electronic device to tune pianos, I prefer to tune
aurally. I use a tuning fork that has been carefully calibrated to produce the pitch "A" at 440Hz
(A440), match the note A4 on the piano to it, and tune the rest of the piano from there.
Is tuning aurally as accurate as tuning using an electronic device?
Yes! Many factors go into tuning a piano correctly, many of which cannot always be correctly
predicted and adjusted for with electronic devices. Electronic tuning devices (ETDs) measure the
pitch of only one string of a unison once before calculating where it thinks it should go. I listen to
soundscape of all three strings and constantly go back to reference where the notes are to create
a better, more pleasing sound. I've find that no matter how "perfect" an electronically calculated
tuning may be, an aurally tuned piano can sound more musical. The human ear is the final judge
of whether a piano is really in tune or not, not a machine.
What is "pitch raising"?
Pitch raising is the term technicians use to describe the task of pulling the tension of the strings
back to the correct pitch when a piano is extremely flat (or sometimes extremely sharp). Pitch
raising is generally necessary when the piano is more than ~4Hz away from correct pitch.
Unfortunately, the very process of pitch raising introduces instability to a piano. As each string is
pulled up to correct tension, the plate tension shifts and other strings' tension changes, throwing
the piano out of tune again. Pitch raising takes several tunings until the piano is close to pitch and
stable. This is why you want to keep your piano regularly tuned--so that pitch raising would not be
necessary! Please visit this link on the Piano Technicians Guild website for further information
about pitch raising: http://www.ptg.org/resources-pianoOwners-pitchRaise.php
How can I keep my piano stable?
Pianos go out of tune no matter what you may try to do to keep yours stable. But here are a few
tips to keep it as stable as it can possibly be: Keep your piano in as consistent of an environment
as possible. This means that the more stable the environment, the more stable your piano will be.
Try to maintain a regular humidity level--run a de-humidifier in the summer, keep the piano away
from humid rooms like the bathroom or kitchen. Try to maintain a constant temperature throughout
the year. Keep the piano away from bay windows where it would be bombarded by direct sunlight.
Cover the piano when it is not in use. Most of all, have it regularly serviced by a professional piano
technician.
What do you charge to tune a piano?
Please see Pricing.
| Ben Gac Registered Piano Technician |
