TUNING
At Kimberley Piano, we believe that if the piano is being used for practice, it is highly recommended that the piano stay at concert pitch so that the student learning can develop an audible memory of their music and instrument. As this piano may be their main source of piano playing, the difference from this to another piano (say their teachers piano, or keyboard), more often than not, the phrase “it doesn’t sound right” will appear. This can be confusing to the student and not beneficial to their learning.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Often Should My Piano Be Tuned?
A rule of thumb is every 6 months for piano getting used, and at least every 12 months for pianos not getting used.
In the Kimberley, Because we experience drastic changes in climate, this could be estimated to be more regularly, depending on the condition, amount of use, and location the piano is kept.
Some Of The Keys Don't Work Properly, Is That Hard To Fix?
Because of the small wood pieces which make up almost all the moving parts of the piano, humidity, moisture, changes in temperature can cause these pieces to warp and distort out of place. The soft felts lining most surfaces of each of these pieces can also become sticky, have debris, or be worn out which will affect the function of the piano.
These can be replaced, or cleaned to help returned the piano back to its full working condition.
My Piano Hasn’t Been Tuned For Years?
In the event a Piano hasn’t been tuned for longer than the recommended timeframe, it may not sound terribly out of tune, but could be considerably bellow normal pitch. In this situation, for it to be tuned correctly, it will need to have what’s called a “Pitch Raise”.
A Pitch Raise, is a careful process of slowly bringing the piano back up to concert pitch over a series of tunings to prevent any damage to any internal parts, or strings.