Synopsis: You can get your piano tuned twice a year for about $320, or 4 times for about $400. And it will be more in tune throughout the year. Which seems like a better value?
Detail: Changes in humidity and temperature will make a piano go out of tune faster than anything else. In Ohio, that is a problem. I recommend, at minimum, seasonal tunings to keep up with the summer and winter climates. But even then the piano has often shifted so much, 10 to 25 cents or more, it needs a “pitch raise” (or lowering) in addition to the “tuning”. This is an additional cost of about 60%. For round numbers as an example, let’s assume a tuning is $100. That means a pitch raise plus a tuning would be $160, or $320 per year. Of course that also means living with an out of tune piano for much of the year. If one chooses to tune quarterly, just 4 times per year, that would be an additional $80, less than the cost of a single tuning. If keeping a strict A-440 is not essential, the piano can drift a few cents sharp or flat without notice and no drastic pitch adjustments are necessary. I have included a simplified graph to visually demonstrate the difference between semi-annual and quarterly tuning schedules. I have some clients, mostly churches, who use their pianos regularly and want to keep them as close to A-400 as possible. Tuning every other month I can often get a piano to stay within +/- 3 cents of A-440. That is still less than twice the semi-annual cost of $320. We appreciate real pianos for a reason. Finding the tuning schedule that best suits your instrument is one of my obligations. Consider the value of a quarterly tuning schedule and please pick your own appointment time quickly and easily online or call me at 330-801-0089.
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David Spondike, Ph.D.Piano Technician, Theorist, Composer, Bassist Archives
September 2021
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