All pianos are complex instruments made from nearly 12,000 parts. There are almost 8,000 moving parts and the majority of the materials used are wood. And since wood is the predominant material, changes can occur in your piano due to changes in temperature and humidity. Contrary to popular beliefs, all pianos must be tuned and serviced regularly whether they are played or not. Hot, cold, humid and dry conditions are, in themselves not harmful to a piano; it is the change from one to the other that causes a piano to literally change dimension, causing the piano to go out of tune. A tuning is analogous to a chiropractic treatment for your piano.
There is a tremendous amount of tension strung across the frame of a piano – nearly twenty tons or 40,000 pounds. With such forces acting on your pianos, regular tuning equalizes this stress and puts the piano in an optimum state. Your piano should be professionally tuned preferably twice each year, possibly more in its first year. The best times to tune your instrument are in the spring, after the heat has been turned off for a few weeks and in the fall, after the heat in your home has been turned on for a few weeks. When your professional technician is at your home, he will also inform you of any other maintenance that might be advisable. Schedule an initial tuning about two to three weeks after delivery to allow the piano to acclimate to its new environment.
Years ago, putting a piano on an outside wall was not a good idea. However, in today’s modern, well insulated homes, this is usually not an issue. However, placing your piano near a heating or air conditioning vent is a bad idea. Again, it is not heat or cold, it is change that affects a piano. Again, have your piano tuned at least once, but preferably twice each year and your piano will delight you and your family for many years to come.
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