A piano brings a lifetime of enjoyment to you and your family. As you might expect with any investment of this size, a piano requires periodic servicing to provide outstanding performance year after year.

 

The beautiful, natural sound of a piano is due to the remarkable blending of such materials as wood, metal, buckskin, and wool. Together they create a uniquely timeless sound that no other instrument in the world can duplicate. While electronic instruments may approximate the sound of an acoustic piano, they cannot approach the true beauty of the real thing.

 

The three components of a piano’s performance that need to be adjusted periodically are pitch, tone and touch. Tone is maintained by voicing, and touch by servicing the piano action, called regulation. Piano tuning is the adjustment of the tuning pins so that all the strings are of the proper tension (pitch), to have the correct sounding musical intervals.

 

An out-of-tune piano or an unresponsive touch can discourage even novice musicians. Regular maintenance also can prevent expensive repairs in the future.

 

Most manufacturers recommend servicing at least one or two times a year to keep the piano sounding good and working properly each time you sit down to play. This is especially important the first year of your piano’s life. Some tuning instability should be anticipated during the first year because of the elasticity of the piano wire, combined with the piano’s normal adjustment to the humidity changes in your home. A piano which has gone a long time without tuning may require extra work in pitch raising. But most importantly, be sure the regular servicing of your piano is performed by a qualified piano technician.

 

- Myron Gorin

  Piano Technician

(used with permission)

 

I will be glad to recommend a good technician for you.

Humidity is also important in maintaining your piano in good condition, and getting a hygrometer will help you determine if you need more or less humidity.