Fine-tuning:

This type of tuning is fairly self-explanatory. This is where the tuning pins only need a slight adjustment to put the piano in tune. This procedure takes from about forty minutes to an hour.

A fine-tuning is performed when the piano is tuned at a regular interval of about 4 - 6 months. this is the best way to have your piano tuned, because the tuner doesn't have to turn the tuning pins very far. The piano will stay in tune much better than it would if the instrument were left a long time, and the tuner needed to turn the pins a long way.

Rough and fine-tuning:

When a piano has been neglected, it is often necessary for the tuner to tune the piano twice before a quality tuning can be achieved. The first rough tuning prepares the piano for the second fine tuning. The need for this double tuning is due to the nature of piano wire. Suffice to say, if the tuner attempted to tune such a piano in one stage, the resulting tuning would be very unstable.

Pitch raising or lowering:

I'll offer a couple of examples to explain raising or lowering the pitch of a piano using two fictitious characters.

Example 1. Jenny's piano is in tune, but is nearly a semitone below, A440. so she can't play along with the radio or join in when her friends bring their instruments round for a musical evening. She asks me to tune it to British Standard Pitch, A440, and, having first inspected the piano to see if it can sustain the higher pitch, I would give her my opinion of the likelihood of success in the form of a percentage, for example, "There's an 80% chance of success with no broken strings or other problems". I would have to advise in this manner, as there are no guarantees. All reputable piano tuners are trained to minimise string breakage, but occasionally a string will break, even during a fine-tuning, and, of course, as raising the pitch puts more tension onto a string, the risk of broken strings increase slightly during a pitch raise. Having discussed the pros and cons with Jenny, a decision would be made whether to go ahead with the work or not.

Example 2. John's Victorian piano is incapable of sustaining British Standard Pitch, so he asks me to tune it down so that the note "A" plays "G". In this way he could play along with a recording of music by transposing the piece, whereas before, whatever he tried to play along with resulted in hideous discord. As with Jenny, I would examine the piano and discuss the pros and cons with John, and a decision would be made.

So what could Jenny and John expect to happen if an alteration of pitch was agreed? The procedure for either a pitch raising or pitch lowering is very like a rough and fine-tuning in that it requires two tunings to achieve a decent result. In addition to the double tuning, which is normally done in one session, it is highly recommended that the piano be tuned again in a month's time, just to settle the piano and work for a quality tuning. Thereafter, it is very important to have the piano tuned regularly to ensure that the pitch does not drift so far as to make another pitch raising or lowering necessary.

Changes in humidity are the main factors in sending a piano out of tune. Ever since its invention in 1709, the piano has been constructed mainly of wood. this material gives the piano its unique tonal qualities, but being wood it tends to take in moisture when the atmosphere is humid, and gives it up again during a dry spell. In doing this the wood expands and contracts. If you consider that the strings are stretched over the bridges and soundboard, it follows that if the soundboard expands during a humid spell, the strings will be pushed up and so will the pitch. Then, when the atmosphere is dry, the soundboard will give up it's moisture and so contract, lessening the push on the strings, and therefore the pitch will drop.

Changes in temperature will contribute a little to the instability of the tuning, but are not nearly as great as the effects of humidity changes.

Piano playing will have a small effect on the stability of the tuning. Exactly how much will depend on the condition of the tuning pins and strings.

New pianos may tend to go out of tune quite frequently for the first few years. This is because the strings are new and have a natural tendency to stretch. however, this will pass and, provided you have the piano tuned regularly, this should not be a big problem.

Here are some suggestions on piano care. If you follow them to the best of your ability, it should reduce tuning instability and the instrument may need less frequent repairs.

POSITION

Position your piano:

Central heating can damage your piano

IMPORTANT If you have, and use, central heating in the room housing the piano, seek the tuner's advice. He may recommend the use of a humidifier, or other steps to avoid irreversible damage caused by a dry atmosphere.

Damp conditions can damage your piano

IMPORTANT If the room housing the piano is at all damp, seek the tuner's advice. He may recommend the use of a special piano heater to protect the piano from excess moisture, which can cause serious damage if allowed to go unchecked

CLEANING

Follow the manufacturer's instructions when available.

GENERAL

Avoid using the piano top as a shelf because heavy items accidentally falling onto the keys may cause a broken hammer, or chip the key covering.

to avoid damage to the casework, or accidental spillage, Do not place drinks or vases on the top of the piano. Spilled liquid that may seep inside the piano can cause a lot of damage which can be expensive to put right.

Only fully qualified piano technicians should carry out piano repairs. NEVER attempt a repair unless you are qualified to do so. Not only do the professionals have the experience, they also have the specialist tools.

Over the years the inside of your piano will attract a lot of dust and grit. A continuous build-up of this kind can cause excessive wear and tear of the felts, effectively shortening their useful life.

So what can be done to keep your piano clean inside?

Do not attempt to clean the inside of your piano unless you are trained in piano maintenance.

Having your piano tuned regularly will help, as most tuners carry a duster and will normally give accessible surfaces a wipe over. However, every five years or so you should consider having the interior of your piano professionally cleaned. This involves a thorough cleaning of the interior of your piano even extending to inaccessible places such as underneath the keys and under the strings.