Piano tuning is both the most frequent and most important aspect of proper piano care. Pianos go out of tune as humidity changes. Here in Maine, humidity is highly unpredictable: Constant small fluctuations in humidity mean your piano can go out of tune even more quickly than in other parts of the country.
Piano tuning is the most basic and essential step in piano care. You should have your piano tuned twice per year. Regular piano tunings keep your piano sounding the best that it can. They also prevent your piano from shifting so far out of tune that it’s difficult to get it back into tune later.
Wondering if your piano is out of tune? Compare it to standard A440 pitch. Call (207) 306-A440 and see how your middle A key compares to that tone!
Keyboards, Digital Pianos, Electronic Pianos, and Disklaviers
I perform authorized service on Yamaha, Roland, and Casio keyboards and digital pianos. For information about keyboard and digital piano repair, please see my Digital Keyboard FAQ. For information on my Disklavier work and common questions about these remarkable instruments, please see my Yamaha Disklavier FAQ.
I do provide local service for electronic pianos such as Rhodes and Wurlitzer, including rebuilds using components from Vintage Vibe.
Pitch Adjustments
If your piano is very out of tune, it may require a significant pitch adjustment. These adjustments are quick tunings that bring the piano closer to concert pitch before the fine-tuning. Typically, these pianos that are very far out of tune will “settle” after a tuning, going quickly out of tune again.
In those cases, it's necessary to come back and tune the piano within a few weeks. I have a couple of tuning samples of the sorts of recoveries these pianos can make! Brand-new pianos also require more frequent tuning for their first year.
For more questions you might have about piano tunings and the piano tuning process, please see my Piano Tuning FAQ!
Humidity
Humidity is the primary factor in how well a piano holds a tune. Controlling the humidity in your home using air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and/or humidifiers helps keep your piano in tune and in good shape. Ideally, well-kept pianos can entertain families for more than a century, and nothing adds to their longevity like stable humidity! You should strive to keep the humidity in the room between 42-45%. To do this, you'll need a good hygrometer, and you can see my humidifier recommendations and my hygrometer recommendations here.
If it's impractical to control the humidity in the room, or if you aren't getting adequate results, I do recommend and install Dampp-Chaser Piano Life Saver Systems. See my Dampp-Chaser FAQ for more information on these systems!
To schedule, call (207) 400-6009 or email [email protected], or reach out to me through my contact page.