Why bother tuning your piano once a year?

There are three kinds of "out of tune"

1. Unisons: Most of the keys on a piano consist of three strings. When these strings are not in perfect unison, it results in a dissonant, slightly "beating" sound.

   This is often the most noticeable form of being out of tune and is usually what people refer to when they say their piano sounds awful.

   Regular tuning ensures that the strings of each key are precisely aligned in pitch, providing a clear and harmonious sound.

   Time comsumption on a good vs OK job: 30 seconds vs 10 seconds per notes

2. Overall Pitch:

   The overall pitch of a piano can drift due to changes in humidity and temperature. This drift affects the entire instrument, causing it to be pitched higher or lower than the standard A440 Hz tuning. This is especially problematic when playing with other instruments that are tuned to the standard pitch.

   Annual tuning helps to ensure that the piano is not only in tune with itself but also with the universally accepted pitch standard.

   This is also the reason why a piano has not been tuned for decades may need multiple tunings to be back or, sometimes, a really old piano with rusty strings may not be able to be tuned is the same reason.

   Time comsumption on a good vs OK job: it is the product of the other two tunings.

3. Harmony (The Relationship Between Different Keys):

   You may think your piano is well tuned when a. each note sound OK, b. you use a device to test the A4 and it is 440.

   Usually, it is not true.

   Only after your piano has been fully harmonized will you truly appreciate the difference.

   You might find yourself wondering how you ever tolerated the inharmonious sounds for so long. This newfound clarity and harmonic richness can transform your playing experience, highlighting the subtle but significant impact that proper tuning has on the overall sound.

   The tuning of a piano is not just about individual notes but also about the relationship between notes - the intervals.

   If the intervals are not properly tuned, chords and harmonies will not sound as they should. This issue is more subtle than unisons but equally important for the overall musicality of the instrument.

   A well-tuned piano has intervals that are precisely adjusted to produce a coherent and pleasing sound when multiple notes are played together.

   The moment your piano is in perfect harmony, it's like hearing it for the first time all over again—a revelation in sound quality that can reignite your passion for playing.

   Time comsumption good vs OK job: 30 minutes vs up to 2 hours

   When tuning a piano without harmonization checks across all keys, the process typically takes about 30 minutes. However, for a harmonized tuning, which ensures consistency and balance across the piano, it usually requires between 1 to 2 hours."

   Quick Tuning Procedure:

   1. Open your tuning device.
   2. Begin by tuning the first note.
   3. Progressively tune each subsequent note until the last one.
   4. Fine-tune the unisons.
   5. Conclude the tuning process.

   Harmonized Tuning Procedure:

   1. Tune the first note.
   2. Cross-check and adjust the second note in relation to the first.
   3. Use the second note as a reference to tune the third note.
   4. Continue this process, regularly cross-checking each new note against previous ones (e.g., check the 5th note against the 1st, the 6th against the 2nd, etc.).
   5. Perform a temperament check to the first octave
   6. Tune the fundamental notes in the bass section.
   7. Check and adjust the partial sounds of the bass notes.
   8. Conduct a temperament check for the bass notes.
   9. Proceed to the treble tuning.
   10. Check the second partials in the treble section.
   11. Perform a double octave check in the treble section.
   12. Retouch the treble unisons.
   13. Fine-tune the overall unisons.
   14. Do a final unisons check to confirm the balance.
   15. End the tuning process.

Pianos are not like violin, pianos' voice, sound, and tone, are already there before you press the key.

Tuning is part of the art you are performing.

This is the reason why those old composers like J.S. Bach tune their own pianos.