Oconee Piano Tuning

Why Tuning Your Piano Regularly Is Important

Why have your piano tuned on a regular basis? Well, the obvious answer is that it will sound better, right? No argument there. However, did you know that having your piano tuned regularly is necessary for another very important reason? Understanding this will help you to avoid the common mistake that all too many people make by having their piano tuned only when it will be played. This decision often results in detrimental consequences and necessitates more costly repairs.

We urge you to not fall victim to this trap.

Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind

It’s pretty amazing that so many pianos suffer the consequences that go hand in hand with their owners primarily viewing them as furniture. The “insides” are not seen and too often forgotten. We know that not servicing what’s under the hood of your automobile can be detrimental. It’s not different with your piano.

Your Piano’s “Amplifier”

You see, your piano has a soundboard. Essentially, the soundboard of your piano serves as its “amplifier” so that you can hear those strings when the keys are played. Well, to oversimplify this explanation, the strings of your piano extend from one side of this soundboard to the other. They are connected to hitch pins and tuning pins. Okay so far?

Great…

Tension: The Good Kind

Well, the strings of your piano are tight… VERY TIGHT! How tight? Well, if you added up the pressure exerted by all those strings in your piano, it would add up to about… (ready for this?)…

… (depending on the size of the piano) 19 to 30 TONS of pressure! You read that right.

It’s pretty safe to say that pianos, in this sense, are not like people. You see, pianos are healthier and perform better while enduring lots of stress : )

By being so tight, those piano strings actually help to maintain a certain curvature to that soundboard so that it’s able to do its job effectively. This curvature is slight, very difficult or impossible to see with the naked eye. However, it’s there! (The illustration shown is extremely simplified) Well, it’s really very important that the soundboard’s curvature is maintained on a steady basis by those strings.

What happens if it isn’t? Well, those strings let up little by little and the soundboard loses some of that curvature. In other words, it starts “bending” in a direction it’s not supposed to. Have you ever heard of a piano that had a cracked soundboard? Bingo! That’s a way it can happen. Furthermore, after waiting too long, the soundboard has had time to “relax” in its abnormal state and then tightening those strings to the tension they’re meant to be at becomes a challenge, sometimes impossible. This increases the likelihood of piano string breakage.

Tune Your Piano Regularly

So, you see, keeping those strings tight is conducive to that soundboard maintaining its shape. In short, keeping your piano tuned regularly (minimum once, preferably twice a year) helps to maintain the structural integrity of your piano.

Therefore, it stands to reason that a tuned piano is a happy piano!

Schedule an appointment today!