Tuning your piano is
the most basic of services. Yet, it is the most important. If a piano is not
kept in tune, it is not inviting to the musician, novice or professional. Equally, if the tension on the strings is not kept proper, one or more pitch raises may be necessary to correct it or damage to the
instrument could result.
From the book "Piano Tuning and Allied Arts", Dr. Wm Braid
White, one of the best known acousticians and craftsmen in the country had this
to say about a piano standing in tune:
"No matter what any salesman may say, no matter how finely a piano may be made, no matter, in fact, what the physical
circumstances or the price, or the domestic conditions may be, there is no such
thing as a piano standing in tune, month after month. The better the piano, the
more frequent and careful tuning it should have."
"from the layman's
standpoint, four tunings a year should be sufficient. The tuner knows, however, that if he had time to tune his piano as often as his ears tell him, he would
tune it once a month at least. From a strictly scientific point of view, it is
probably true to say that no piano ever made has ever stood in tune, unless it
were maintained at a constant temperature and under constant barometric and
hydroscopic conditions in a laboratory. When you consider that there are 227
strings and each is pulling on its pin, held in place by friction of wood on
metal, and the pull is somewhere between 160 and 200 pounds, totaling between
33000 and 45000 pounds, and being under the added strain by the hammers hitting
them, you will realise that it is impossible for the pins to hold their strings
exactly as the tuner left them."

The quality of tone for a string is better when the pull on
the string comes close to the maximum safety load (about 180 lbs). Therefore,
the tension across a piano from its strings (about 227) is about 20 tons. Add to
this changes in temperature and humidity, and it becomes clear that a piano
cannot stay in tune by itself. Further, if left standing too long unserviced, not only will the pitch of the instrument become extremely flat, but ultimately
damage to the soundboard and bridging will occur due to the relaxing tension of
the strings.
Keyboard Tuning & Repair
(352) 322-4717
|
|