Piano tuning – what you should know!

A standard violin has four strings. A typical guitar, six. The average piano, however, dwarfs these figures with a whopping 230!

Each string plays an important role in defining the sound of your instrument – so taking proper care of them is essential. But with a professional piano tuning service costing upwards of £60, you might be questioning if you can have a go yourself?

Technically speaking, yes you could. Whether it’s a good idea, though, is a different matter altogether.

Piano tuning is notoriously difficult. To do it properly you need specialist tools, skills, and plenty of patience! Even then, it’s unlikely you’ll achieve the precision of a fully trained piano tuner.

Wondering what else you need to be aware of? Here the team at Richard Lawson Pianos reveal everything to expect if you want to enjoy pitch perfection.

Tune in

To maintain quality sound, you’ll need to:

· Get your piano tuned regularly

Tuning a piano is an easier (and faster!) process if it’s done regularly.

Go too long between tunes and it can not only take longer, but will cost more, too. Routine tuning also helps your piano to stay in good condition and prevents damaging strings.

For the average player, it’s recommended to have your piano tuned every 6-9 months – whether it sounds like it needs it or not. The tuner will also check over the piano more generally, and highlight anything that needs attention.

· Book a tune if you move

Whether it’s shuffling your piano to a different room or a different postcode, any movement can unsettle the strings. Which is why it’s recommended to book a re-tune after a move.

Just remember to allow a couple of weeks for everything to settle first. This gives your piano time to climatise to its new environment.

· Allow time for a full tuning

If you’re used to the tuning time of other stringed instruments, you need to be prepared for a piano tune to take longer. A LOT longer.

A basic tune will usually take about an hour. However, if it’s been a while since the last one, it’s likely to take longer.

· Use a professional

Why take chances with the instrument you love? Whilst self-tuning is an option, it’s rarely the best approach. Proper servicing requires tuning hammers, tuning forks, mutes, the list goes on – not equipment the average player has to hand.

So, if you’re going to optimise the sound quality of your piano, it’s far better to employ a professional.

· Expect your piano tuner to need access

Don’t be alarmed if it looks like your piano is being dismantled.

To carry out a thorough job, a piano tuner will require full access to the frame and strings. This will require key covers, and the front panel on upright models, to be removed. If you’ve not seen the inside of your piano before, it can look a little daunting – but don’t panic. A professional tuner knows exactly what they’re doing…and they will put your piano back together once they’re done!

· Get your piano tuned more frequently if you’re a pro

A professional player should expect to service their piano more regularly. Typically, once every 3-4 months rather than the standard 6-9 months.

Always book in a tune if you notice any changes or irregularities in sounds.

Tune out

When it comes to piano tuning, try to avoid:

· Doing it yourself

We’ve already touched on this. Whilst, yes, it is possible to tune a piano yourself, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to achieve the accuracy of a professional tuner. It’s also guaranteed to take you much longer.

Better to use the service of an expert and spend that time playing and enjoying your instrument instead.

· Dismissing old pianos

An old, unloved piano may need restoration and repair work, but it’s nearly always possible to re-tune and bring it back to life. So don’t be too quick to put a piano on the scrap heap.

· Thinking all pianos are the same

Tuning will vary from piano to piano.

You can expect tuning a grand piano to take longer, and cost more, than an upright.

Older pianos can – and do – sound every bit as enchanting as younger models, but they generally don’t hold their tune for quite as long, and will require more frequent servicing.

Judge the frequency of tuning by the age of your piano and how intensely it is played – and always pay attention to any changes in sound.

· Expecting it to be cheap

The average piano tune will cost around £60-£70. Not cheap. Equate this to the time and effort you would need to invest to do the job yourself, though, and it’s money well spent.

Worth knowing too, that routine tuning also helps your piano to hold its value.

Speak to the professionals

As experienced piano tuners in Hertfordshire, our name is well established across the county. Richard Lawson is the team to turn to for a friendly and professional service.

Whether you’re buying, moving, or looking to service and tune your instrument, we can help.

To find out more, please get in touch.

Bianca Thomas

Great place to choose the right piano for your needs, offers a wide selection for both the amateur and professional! I tried out a number of pianos. My second hand yamaha arrived pristine, and was delivered with care and attention. Plays beautifully and Richard was knowledgeable and helpful in giving playing tips to an amateur such as myself!

Matt

A huge thank you to Colin & Richard @ Richard Lawson Piano’s. If you are considering buying a piano then take my advice and look no further. I was in the market to purchase a grand Piano for my 13-year-old daughter and after looking for a couple of months, indecisive which Piano to purchase, I came across Richard Lawson Piano’s. My initial call was with Richard who was extremely nice, knowledgeable, relaxed and not sales pushy. Based on that I decided to make the journey across to Amersham from Kent to visit the showroom where the selection and choice was just endless. I was welcomed by Colin who’s knowledge was incredible, he took his time without pressurising me to make a decision nor did he pressurise me to purchase anything. If you’re not 100% sure what to buy and need to look around to consider options then look no further, this is the Piano supper market. They also opened up for us especially the day before Christmas break to collect. Thank you so very much for a fantastic service. All the best Matt & Kirstie

José Eduardo Cuautle Téllez

Richard Lawson Pianos are excellent retailers for pianos. And I would absolutely recommend for anyone buying their first piano to go there, as their hospitality and professionalism is top tier. Colin was the very kind gentleman who guided me step by step into chosing a piano withing my budget and of excellent quality.

Amanda Bouskill

I purchased a Yamaha digital 825 recently. I was very impressed with the high level of service I received from ordering through to the delivery. I have also had help with help, regarding the setting up of my earphones . They are very knowledgeable, friendly, efficient people to deal with. I can recommend the service of Richard Lawson. It is excellent!

Mark Bishop

Great service from start to finish, and we’re delighted with the piano. Thank you!

James Chadd

As a non player and first time piano purchaser buying for advanced level teenage players we needed allot of guidance and support in sourcing our piano. We have had an excellent service from Colin at Richard Lawson Pianos. From our initial telephone conversation to help us understand our requirements and give clear unbiased advice to what we should be looking for (and avoid), through to our showroom visit on the following weekend. Amazing showroom and selection of Pianos to select from, we enjoyed our visit and selection process. Purchasing, finance and delivery were all seemless and highly co-ordinated making everything simple and stress free. Great service all round.

ahn jiae

I have been recommending Richard Lawson Pianos to my students for over 10 years, and every experience has been excellent. Colin was incredibly helpful from start to finish. I didn't even need to visit the showroom, as he promptly answered all my questions and matched the best price. He was also happy to hold the piano for over a month while I arranged the move of my previous piano. The delivery was almost impossible due to the access, but Colin organised everything smoothly. The delivery team worked incredibly hard and managed what seemed impossible. To make things even better, the piano technician contacted me just two days after delivery without me having to chase anyone. The piano was delivered on Friday, and I already had a message from the technician by Sunday. The level of customer service has been outstanding every time I have purchased a piano from Richard Lawson Pianos. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a quality piano and first-class service. Thank you so much, Colin, for all your help!

Dupinder Sagoo

I reached out to Richard Lawson to upgrade our piano for daughter - we met Colin who helped and advised us so well. We then purchased the the piano which was delivered promptly, it was such a smooth process from start to finish, and we would thoroughly recommend the team at Richard Lawson.

Raj Paramasivam

It been pleasure buying a piano at Richard Lawson Piano Ltd, where we met Colin who was friendly and patiently understanding our needs and explained technical stuff in clear manner. This helped us to choose right piano for my son’s grade exams. I can recommend Richard Lawson Piano where they have large collections to fit everyone needs. 5 stars service and can recommend

Piano tuning – what you should know!