My Pet Peeve: An Out-of-Tune Piano

You may be the world's best pianist yet sound like the world's worst pianist if you are playing on a piano that is out of tune. No pianist really ever wants to play on a piano that is out of tune. I certainly don't!

Have you wondered what happens to your piano that causes it to go out of tune? Do you know when it's out of tune?

Taking good care of your piano or the piano at your church is very important. A piano is a huge investment and should be kept in tune. Living in Florida, I always keep the central air conditioner on and never open the windows in my home. I have several pianos and they stay happily in tune that way. Some churches turn the air conditioner down or off during the week causing the piano to go out of tune. Once a piano gets out of tune, the longer you wait to tune it the worse shape it will get in. I've known people that think that just because they haven't had anyone playing on their piano that it doesn't go out of tune. That is false. Since the strings of a piano are under tons of pressure, a piano goes out of tune even if no one plays it. Even if only a couple of notes sound bad, usually every note needs tuning. If a string breaks, then that one string can be replaced and tuned, but that is a rare occurrence. I have never had a string break on a piano I have played.

Here are a few of the most common questions with answers:

1. Should a piano be tuned after it is moved?

If a piano has been moved from one state to another or even from one home to another, it should be tuned in six weeks. If it is moved from one side of a room to another the piano probably is fine depending on how it was moved there. It is extremely difficult to move heavy pianos and this should be left to professionals. Usually the piano legs are taken off as well as the pedals. Don't risk cracking the sounding board. Call a mover.

2. Where is the best place to have my piano in my home?

The ideal location would be where the room temperature is always 72 degree Fahrenheit. Excessive variations in room temperature should be avoided. Relative humidity should be kept at 40 percent. Your piano may be on an outside wall only if your home is well insulated. Allow four to six inches of air space between the piano back and the wall. Avoid placing your piano under a window.

3. Does carpet under the piano make a difference in the tone?

Yes, drapery and carpeting does tend to distort, muffle and deaden the piano tone. I can't remember ever seeing a concert hall with carpet under the piano. Some churches, however, have carpet under the piano. Other churches have marble floors and the piano sounds much brighter. Surfaces such as tile, stone or wood make the tone louder.

4. What exactly does the tuner do?

The tuner adjusts the 230 strings on the piano, tuning each one. We have 1,610 pounds of force against the bridges and soundboard of a piano pitched at A-440. Each piano string exerts a force against the soundboard of 170 pounds. A piano should be tuned to the pitch of A which is 440 cycles per second. A complete tuning takes at least an hour.

5. When should a new piano be tuned?

A new piano needs special attention the first year and should be tuned at least every four months. Thereafter, every six months is the minimum.

If you own a piano you simply must have it tuned. If you cannot afford to have it tuned, you cannot afford a piano. If you own a dog, would you neglect to pay for its food? If you can't afford to feed a dog you don't buy a dog. It's that simple. It is my personal "pet peeve" that people neglect their pianos and don't have them tuned twice a year.

Gail Smith is seen here assisting the piano tuner at her church.