Frequently asked
questions.

Most pianos should be tuned every 6–12 months. Strings are under enormous tension and naturally drift with seasonal humidity changes, so regular tuning keeps your piano at pitch and sounding its best. Our system can set up your next appointment at the time of service.

Keep it in a stable spot — away from exterior doors, heating and cooling vents, fireplaces, and direct sunlight. Aim for steady temperature and humidity year-round. The more consistent the environment, the longer your tuning holds.

Unfortunately, no. A piano drifts out of tune from changes in temperature and humidity, not from playing. Even an untouched piano in storage needs periodic tuning to stay healthy.

Sometimes. A piano that has dropped well below pitch usually needs a pitch raise before a fine tuning will hold — essentially an extra pass. We always discuss this with you up front so there are no surprises.

Tuning adjusts the pitch of the strings. Regulation adjusts the mechanical action — the moving parts that connect your fingers to the hammers — so the touch is even and responsive. They're two different services that work together.

Over time, felt compresses and parts settle, so the action no longer responds the way it should. Regulation re-adjusts those parts to factory specifications, restoring control, evenness, and repetition across all 88 notes.

There's no one-size answer — it depends on the condition of the old piano and your budget for a new one. We're glad to assess your instrument and give you honest guidance so you can make the right call.

It's tempting, but a poorly-maintained piano can actually hold a beginner back: uneven touch and wrong pitch make learning harder and less rewarding. A properly tuned, well-regulated piano — even a modest one — makes practice more enjoyable and helps progress stick.

Keep it clean and dust-free, maintain stable humidity, avoid placing drinks or plants on it, and play it regularly. Beyond that, a consistent tuning schedule with your technician is the single best thing you can do.

Wood and felt expand and contract with humidity. Too dry and the soundboard can crack; too damp and you invite rust and sluggish action. Keeping humidity in a stable, moderate range protects both tuning and the instrument itself.

A tuner adjusts pitch. A technician is a tuner who is also skilled in repairs, regulation, voicing, and restoration. Our team works at the technician level — caring for the whole instrument, not just its pitch.

When a piano has dropped well below standard pitch, raising it back to A-440 changes the tension across the whole frame, which immediately pulls the strings out of tune again. A pitch raise gets it close; the following tuning makes it precise.

A pitch raise is the process of raising (or lowering) the overall pitch of the piano to bring it back to A-440, the international standard. It's needed when a piano has drifted significantly flat, usually from going too long between tunings.

A-440 is the standard other instruments tune to. A piano at A-440 plays in tune with itself and with everything else — voice, strings, winds, and recordings — so your music sounds right in any setting.

Mostly humidity and temperature swings, which make the soundboard swell and shrink and change string tension. Hard playing and the natural settling of a new piano contribute too, but climate is the biggest factor.