7 November 2023 The Role of Piano Tuning After a Move

The Role of Piano Tuning After a Move

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You’ve found a new home. Congratulations! It’s a big time commitment to ensure a successful move. 

As a piano owner, you have an additional task on your moving list: ensuring your cherished piano successfully makes the journey with you. Whether it’s a family heirloom, a beautiful addition to your living room, or a beloved musical companion, your piano is a valuable asset that deserves proper care. 

What does that look like?

What Happens to a Piano During a Move

Moving a piano can be daunting, and it’s no surprise that the process can affect the instrument. Pianos are delicate and intricate instruments with thousands of individual parts. The vibrations, jostling, and changes in position during transportation can lead to a loss of tuning stability. Even minor bumps can throw the delicate balance of the piano’s internal components off, causing the pitch to go out of alignment.

The strings within the piano can undergo tension changes during the move, affecting the overall sound and tuning. That’s why scheduling a piano tuning after a move is essential to restore its pristine sound and ensure it performs at its best.

How New Climate Affects Piano Tuning

When you move your piano to a new location, you may be exposing it to a different climate than it’s used to. Changes in humidity and temperature can significantly impact the piano’s wooden components, such as the soundboard, bridges, and pinblock. These components expand and contract in response to varying humidity levels, which can affect the piano’s tuning stability.

For example, if you move from a dry climate to a humid one, the wood may absorb moisture and swell, leading to a rise in string tension and a higher pitch. Conversely, moving from a humid environment to a drier one can cause the wood to lose moisture, leading to a drop in string tension and a lower pitch.

How Long a Piano Should Acclimate After a Move Before Tuning

After a move, it’s crucial to allow your piano to acclimate to its new environment before scheduling a tuning. The length of the acclimation period can vary depending on factors like the distance of the move, climate differences, and the piano’s overall condition. In general, waiting at least two weeks is advisable before tuning your piano.

During this acclimation period, your piano will adjust to the new humidity levels and temperature, stabilizing the wooden components. Attempting to tune a piano too soon after a move can result in the need for frequent retuning, as the instrument will continue to adapt to its surroundings.

Tips to Help a Piano Stay in Tune Before and After a Move

Maintenance and tuning go hand in hand. In order to properly maintain your piano, tuning will be a regular part of your routine. If owning a piano is new to you, we have some tips for you to keep in mind: 

  • Maintain Consistent Humidity – Invest in a humidity control system for your piano, such as a piano dehumidifier or humidifier, to help stabilize humidity levels in its immediate environment.
  • Position Your Piano Wisely – Place your piano away from direct sunlight, drafts, and heating or cooling vents to minimize fluctuations in temperature and humidity.
  • Regular Maintenance – Schedule regular piano tunings, even when you’re not moving. This will help keep your piano in optimal condition and catch any minor issues before they become significant problems.
  • Choose Professional Movers – When moving your piano, opt for professional piano moving services to ensure your instrument is handled with care during transportation.
  • Consult a Piano Technician – If you’re uncertain about the condition of your piano or the best way to care for it after a move, consult a piano technician. They can provide expert guidance tailored to your piano’s specific needs.

A piano is not just a piece of furniture; it’s a work of art and a source of beautiful music. To ensure your piano’s longevity and maintain its sweet melody, piano tuning after a move is essential. 

If you need professional piano tuning or moving services, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re here to help you keep your piano in perfect harmony with your home.

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24 February 2023 How to Keep Your Piano Tuned, Repaired, and in Top Condition

How to Keep Your Piano Tuned, Repaired, and in Top Condition

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A piano is not just a musical instrument but a work of art. It requires great care and attention to keep it in top condition. 

If you are a piano owner, you know the importance of keeping your piano tuned, repaired, and in top playing condition. Consider these tips to guide you through the process of maintaining your piano.

Tuning

Tuning is vital to keep your piano in top condition. A piano is a complex instrument with thousands of moving parts that must work together in perfect harmony. With a trained professional tuning it from time to time, it can retain its voice. 

Each time a piano is played, the strings stretch and loosen, causing the piano to go out of tune. A professional tuner will adjust the tension of the strings, bringing the piano back into tune. It is important to note that the cost of tuning a piano can vary based on the condition of the piano and the location of the piano tuner. It should be tuned several times during its first year, once or twice after that, depending on your playing conditions. 

Repairs

Even with regular tuning and maintenance, a piano may require repairs. It is important to address any issues with your piano as soon as possible, as they can worsen over time and potentially cause further damage. Some common problems that require repair include broken strings, cracked soundboards, and sticky keys.

Broken strings can cause a piano to go out of tune and need to be replaced by a professional. Cracked soundboards, which can occur with changes in humidity, can also affect the piano’s tone and require professional repair. Sticky keys can be caused by various factors, including dirt and dust buildup, and can be fixed by cleaning the keys or adjusting the action.

Cleaning

Regular cleaning is essential for keeping your piano in top condition. Dust, dirt, and debris can accumulate inside the piano and affect its tone and performance. To clean your piano, use a soft, lint-free cloth to dust the piano’s exterior, including the keys and pedals.

To clean the piano’s interior, use a soft brush or vacuum to remove any dust or debris. Be sure to avoid using any cleaning products or liquids on the piano, as these can damage the finish or affect the piano’s tone.

Humidity Control

Maintaining proper humidity levels is crucial for keeping your piano in top condition. Extreme humidity levels can cause the wood to expand or contract, affecting the voice and tone of the piano. To maintain proper humidity levels, use a humidifier in the winter months and a dehumidifier in the summer months. You can also purchase a hygrometer to monitor the humidity levels in the room where the piano is located.

Is your piano in top condition?

Keeping your piano tuned, repaired, and in top condition requires dedication and attention to detail. By having your piano tuned regularly, you can ensure that your piano will continue to produce beautiful music for years to come. 

Remember, a well-maintained piano is not just a musical instrument; it is a work of art that deserves the utmost care and attention.

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7 January 2023 Why Pianos Slip Out Of Tune

Why Pianos Slip Out Of Tune

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One moment you play your favorite song on the piano, and it sounds beautiful. The next moment something’s off. It doesn’t sound quite right. What could be wrong? 

Your piano may have slipped out of tune. Why does that happen?

Standard acoustic pianos today are made up of more than 10,000 parts. As a piano is played, as it ages and as other things impact it, it can allow your piano to slip out of tune. The reasons include:

Regular play – how did you play today? Did you touch the keys softly? Did you bang out your favorite tune? The impact of touching each key can pull the piano out of tune. Every note causes the various parts to move and come together, creating the sound you love. Over time, this takes its toll on connections, and requires adjustment to bring them back in tune. 

Humidity – summer versus winter. Snow and cold versus heat and humidity. The temperature fluctuations can be wildly different from the heat of summer to the coldest day of the winter. And that brings new levels of humidity into your home. That impacts every piece of the piano, from the soundboard to the pinblock and beyond. As it swells and contracts, it will cause the piano to quickly slip out of tune. A rule of thumb is to keep your home at 40 to 50 percent humidity range. 

Consistency – pianos work better when their environment has little change. That means keeping it away from direct sunlight, drafty doors and windows, and vents that blow conditioned air. 

Age – new pianos have new strings that will take time to stretch and bend into place. Old pianos may have missing or broken pins that allow strings to slip out of place. Because of constant movement and change, frequency matters when tuning a piano over time. 

Repairs – if your piano technician has mentioned an issue with a pinblock or soundboard on a previous tuning session, it could cause further problems with how well your piano holds a tune. Regularity is essential when keeping your piano in good condition as it ages. 

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13 June 2017 Does Your Piano Need Regulation?

Does Your Piano Need Regulation?

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When you hear the word regulation, your piano probably doesn’t pop into your mind. Regulations have to do with laws, rules, and behavior, not your piano. 

But regulation of a piano means to restore the action to its proper adjustment. The action is the mechanism which connects the keys to the hammers. The action is what takes place to connect the keys to the proper strings in order to create a sound. Does Your Piano Need Regulation?

Regulation involves adjusting hundreds of moving parts. Each has an important role in making your piano play and sound the way it does. If one part is missing, loose, or not working at its proper function, your piano will not be able to provide proper sound. When these parts are played, there is the potential of something going wrong. And if this process is allowed to continue, it can impact other parts throughout the piano. 

A piano technician understands the piano and knows how every part interacts together. 

Since the piano actions are made up of wood and felt, they are impacted by the surrounding environment. If there is a lot of humidity, these parts can swell and contract as the moisture levels change. But these levels aren’t as big as you might think. Tiny changes can have big impact. 

All aspects of the piano are tightly woven together to create sound. To regulate a piano means to change each of these positions, which have very tight clearances and adjustments overall. A technician may twist and turn fractional units at a time. And while it might not seem like a whole lot to you and me, to a technician and the piano he’s working with, it can be a lot. 

When was the last time your piano was regulated? If it’s been over ten years, your piano is in need of an adjustment. Parts wear out. Wires stretch. Felts deteriorate. Wood adjusts. And all of that creates a piano that doesn’t perform at its optimal level. 

Playing at a less than optimal level won’t provide you with the sound quality you need to “feel” the music. And that’s why most of us play – we choose to create an artistic sound. Even if it’s subtle, you know it. You feel it. And that can be the difference between playing and not playing.  

If you suspect something is wrong or if years have passed by and you haven’t had maintenance work performed on your piano, give us a call. 

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