How often does my piano need to be tuned?

Most piano manufacturers recommend regular tuning every 6 months to 1 year. In the Bay Area, temperature and humidity are relatively very stable, so I recommend starting with yearly tunings. For some of my clients' pianos, tuning every 2 or more years is sufficient. Tuning is also recommended more often for newer pianos or recently-restrung pianos. After a piano receives a pitch correction, it also need a follow-up tuning sooner than usual--3 months to 1 year, depending on the piano itself, the piano's environment, and how far the pitch was corrected.

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What are the benefits of having my piano tuned regularly?​

The more often a piano is tuned, the more stable it will be. Regular tuning reinforces the piano's position at the "correct" pitch and makes it more stable over the long term. The most obvious benefit is that it will sound better, making it more pleasant to play!

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Many, though not all, piano owners like to have their pianos tuned regularly. Some piano owners only tune their pianos as needed. My recommendations for tuning frequency take into account the age and condition of the piano, your use of the piano, the piano's environment, and your budget for piano care. 

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How can I improve my piano's tuning stability?

How well a piano stays in tune over time (tuning stability) depends on many different factors. A piano will go out of tune faster if it is played often and very hard, if there are major changes in the temperature and humidity in the piano's environment, and if it is newer, recently restrung, or recently pitch-corrected. Stability also depends somewhat on the individual instrument's quality and condition. Every piano is different. Since environment can make a huge difference to tuning stability and is often the easiest and most immediate change you can make, I suggest starting by moving your piano away from any doors, windows, and air vents and (most importantly) out of direct sunlight. ​​

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What is a pitch correction?

The simple explanation: A pitch correction is an extra tuning to get the piano close to where it needs to be before it can be fine-tuned at the correct pitch. More details: A pitch correction differs from a regular tuning because it involves special techniques. When a piano is very flat, simply pulling the strings up to the correct pitch is not enough. During a pitch correction, each string needs to be pulled past the correct pitch so it will fall back to the target pitch (this technique is called "overpull" in piano technology terms). This is because adding a lot of extra tension to the strings of the piano (over 200 high-tension steel strings!) pushes the bridge of the piano back down, causing the surrounding strings to lose tension. 

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Should I get my piano cleaned regularly?

​Frequent or regular internal cleanings are not strictly necessary for pianos and there is no standard recommended cleaning frequency, but occasional cleanings are beneficial, like anything else. Huge amounts of dust and debris can build up inside the piano, especially under the keys. Occasionally, I have seen debris in between the keys cause sticking keys.​​

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Can you just do a "touch up" tuning on my piano?​

I do not offer "touch-up tuning" or "partial tuning" as a service outside of very specific cases (for example, one note has gone badly out of tune after a piano was just tuned--which is rare!). Usually when a piano sounds like it "just needs a touch-up," it is due for a full tuning because every note has drifted slightly from the "correct" position, even if you can't hear it yet. A touch-up tuning involves improving a few of the worst-sounding notes and therefore leaving others that may be slightly out of tune, but not as bad. In my opinion, it is simpler and a better option to do a full tuning, where I tune every note on the piano to its exact correct position, without making compromises to save time. It produces a tuning that sounds much better and is more stable, and since everything is back to the correct position, it will be a longer time before your piano is back to sounding like it needs a touch-up.

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What areas do I service? 

My "regular service area" includes all of Santa Cruz County, and the coast spanning from Santa Cruz to Pacifica (including Half Moon Bay). I also visit some connecting inland areas like La Honda and San Mateo. I have a few clients outside these areas (my farthest being San Rafael) and I visit the Peninsula pretty often as well. I am not currently taking new clients outside my "regular service area"

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How did you get into this career (piano tuning)?

​This is possibly my most-asked question! See my About page.