What if your piano has been neglected for years? What if you move a family heirloom into your home, and you know just by striking a few keys that it’s been years since the last tuning?
Can an old piano be tuned?
The answer is yes. In most cases, every piano can be tuned. The real question is how much the piano is worth.
Some pianos have simply worn out. No matter how much you tune the piano, they will still sound tinny and worn. They may play the song in tune, but the voice is anything but high quality. 
Still, if a piano has been neglected for years, it can still be tuned to be playable. When pianos are tuned, they are adjusted to be brought up to concert pitch. This is also known as A440, or standard pitch.
A concert pitch brings an instrument in tune with accompaniment. They are designed to be played together and sound good together too.
However, if a piano has been neglected, it might not be able to be brought up to standard pitch. It may be brought up to be in tune with itself, but never back to concert pitch.
Most manufacturers recommend that a piano is tuned once or twice every year, depending on the surrounding area. The more climate changes a piano endures, the more changes in household humidity, the more tunings it will require.
It can also change depending on how often it’s played. A heavy handed pianist may throw the notes out of tune with every song she plays.
Is there a best time of year to tune a piano? The answer is: it depends.
Many tuners would recommend at the change of seasons. This is when the most significant changes in weather occur. It’s when your piano will deal with the biggest changes in humidity levels.
Still others would recommend setting up tunings on a schedule. If you prefer certain months of the year, stick with them year after year.
When was the last time your old piano was tuned?
