How long does it take for a good piano to get out of tune?

Question

Yes that is my general question, but here is more about my case..

I have an English Eavestaff upright piano which gets out of tune in about 6 months. I play around 1 to 2 hours per day on average. Eavestaff (Chippendale, if you know what I mean..)

If you really know what I mean, how good is the piano otherwise??? I kind of bought it, because I loved the tone plus it takes more finger force to press the keys, which is good, as this develops your fingers and you get a great pleasure and ease when playing other pianos..

Another question:

When a tuner comes to your home to tune your piano, what a good professional tuner should consider. I know some tuners not only tune but do something to the softness of the hammers and they might even change the touch,.. how to say... well the amount of force needed to suppress the key.. Is this true and is this good stuff to expose your piano to???

What should one consider in such issues???

The piano is very new. Bought it shiny from a piano shop couple of years ago...

Answer 1

Firstly, tune your piano twice a year -- period. Even a piano that is not played needs to be tuned AT LEAST once a year.

A piano that needs tuning after 6 months is very normal.

Secondly, a good technician will advise you if the hammers need voicing (that is changing the softness of the hammer) and if the action needs regulating (adjusting the evenness of the touch, key dip, squaring the hammers, etc.). These things will affect the lightness or the heaviness of the action somewhat. I don't know of any tuner who would do this without asking, because both operations are time consuming, and a further source of income for them. Why would they give up the money by doing it for free??

Changing the amount of force it takes to depress the hammer -- that is unusual. There is an operation called easing, which entails compressing the bushings in the part of the key that touches the balance rail -- which eliminates binding and sluggishness -- but tht should have been done in the initial prep by the dealer. The only way to make the action "lighter" would be to actually change the mass of the hammer, or screw around with the key weights. DON"T DO IT -- it is only a last resort for very problematic actions. Once again, no technician would sacrifice the income and do this for free.

Is the action heavy on your piano? That's a regulation issue. Is the tone too bright, or uneven? That's a voicing issue.

There is a professional organization of piano tuners here in the U.S. and I am sure there is a corresponding organization in the UK. Work only with techs cetified by this group.

Congratulations on your new instrument!

Answer 2

I'm not really sure how you would "spot" a good piano teacher. You can talk to people you know find reviews for piano teachers in your area to try and find one best suited for you. If you're just starting out, and you need all the basics, you might want to look for someone who is more patient, and very probably works with many children and beginners, who will introduce you to every aspect of playing the piano, and make you want to embrace the piano, not run away from it. If you're at a higher level, you might want to look for someone who specifically teaches, or teaches mainly higher levels, and it doesn't really matter as much if they're super patient or all that, because at that point you're really going to want someone who will teach you and nurture your talent, but also push you to the limit to make you the best you can be. In the end, pick a teacher you think you would like, try it out for a while, and if you feel fulfilled, stick with it, and if you're not feeling it, find another teacher; different teachers a suited for different students, especially in a one on one environment. As for the piano tuner, that's just weird. You should definitely contact them to ask them what the deal was, and ask them to either send someone to re-tune the piano properly, or give you a refund. All pianos, when tuned to the correct frequency using specific tools and a tuning fork, should sound the same. Of course, with time, your piano will most likely fall a few cents flat, or some notes may play a few cents sharp, but the basic note should sound the same as every other piano, even if there are waves in the sound. You could always use an electric tuner to test the pitch of each note on an octave of your piano; it's very possible that your piano is in tune just fine, and the guy just didn't know what he was talking about. Either way, I wish you the best of luck with your piano studies, and with your plight to have a properly tuned piano!

Answer 3

A new piano often needs to be tuned more often than an older (nice) one. A new piano should be tuned about once a year, twice I suppose if it needs it. Talk to an experienced pianist/piano teacher about your problem. I play piano but am not an expert on these matters.

Like I said, I don't know that much about the tuning process. However, when we got ours tuned fairly recently he just tuned the strings, and didn't adjust anything else. Just tell your piano tuner that and you should be fine. Get a good one.

Also, you might consider telling the piano tuner to tune it at 440. I know some tuners tune the pianos sharp, which can sound good, but it's annoying to musicians like myself who always tune to 440. Plus if you every accompanied a musical instrument, it would sound a little funny.

I would suggest doing some reasearch about this, not just in yahoo answers.

Answer 4

Playing 1 to 2 hours per day, to go 6 months between tunings is pretty good. As for the piano itself, an Eavestaff is a decent grade of piano. But as with any stringed instrument the more you play them the sooner they need tuning.

Per my experience, a reputable piano tuner won't adjust the action of the keys unless you request them to do so. Make sure the person tuning your piano is qualified and has references. Good luck to you, I hope this helped in some small way.

Answer 5

What you need is a professional evaluation of your piano. The stiffer keys may be abnormally stiff. The tuning pegs might also be worn. Piano tuners do not normally do any repairs or modifications to pianos.
Look around for three or four piano service and rebuilding companies and have them come over and give you an estimate of the piano's condition. Check their references before calling them in to tune or repair your instrument.
Retuning after 6 months is a little quick. Usually they should be tuned every 12 to 18 months depending on use and environment.
My piano is 80 years old and sounds great. All pianos can be fixed or rebuilt to sound like new. But they may not need any fixing or rebuilding. Just tuning.

Answer 6

You need to get your piano tuned on a regular basis. It depends on how old your piano is. If you bought it used, then maybe it will not sound as good. If your piano is 50 years old, then the tuner won't be able to make much difference in the sound of your piano. It will be so old that they can tune all they want, but it will sound the same and you'll be wasting your money paying the tuner. Good luck!

Answer 7

Lots of variables here. One of the most significant elements in keeping a piano, or any instrument, in tune are the variations in temperature and humidity to which the instrument is regularly subjected.

A good rule of thumb is have the instrument, if it is a really good one, maintained every 90 days. More often if there are extraordinary circumstances such as moving or placing the piano against an outside wall (temperature variations) or excessive use, or under use.

Other than that, changing the oil every 3000 miles, flushing the radiator and especially taking care of the transmission will make it easier to play in keys with lots of flats / sharps.

Answer 8

to add to the good answers you have received ... NEVER EVER BE SHY about asking questions and requesting or asking if they adjust the action or adjust anything else as matter of course

Personal experience .... I love a heavier bow and every time i get them rehaired I must state it must remain the same weight and balance occasionally i get a but.. but I insist and they keep it balanced and heavy (for a bow)

Answer 9

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