A Simple Tuning May Not Restore A Piano To A-440 Pitch

If a piano has gone without tuning for an extended period, its pitch may have dropped far below A-440. This means that each of its approximately 220 strings needs to be tightened considerably, adding tremendous additional tension to the piano's structure.

The problem is that as each string is tightened, the additional load causes the pitch of previously adjusted strings to change. Thus it is impossible to make a substantial change in pitch and end up with a fine, accurate tuning in one pass. Instead, a process called "pitch rising" must first be done, in which all strings are raised to their correct average tension levels. Likewise, when a piano's pitch is higher than standard, a pitch lowering procedure must be done to reduce string tensions to approximately correct levels.

Only then can the piano be accurately tuned. In other words, accurate tuning is only possible when all strings are so close to their proper tension that only small further changes are needed during tuning. These small changes then do not disturb the tuning of other strings.

How Should A Pitch Raise Be Made?

What ever it takes! To do it a tuning correctly, it may have to done twice, perhaps even three times.  The first tuning is what I call a rough tuning.  Here the strings are simple brought up to the general area the strings need to be.

Then about a week to ten days later there may be (if needed) a second tuning which determines if the strings are holding close to where they were set the first time.  If they have drifted downward, which is not uncommon, then the strings need to be pulled up again.

On the other hand, if they are still about where the tuner left them, the final tuning can be done and the piano has been well tuned.  In other words, how far the strings continue to be out of tune determines how far the strings need to be raised.  But, if the strings are not too far out, then a mild pitch raise can be done in one tuning.

However, if the strings are some distance from where they should be, trying to achieve a quality tuning is not going to happen.  The piano tuner will not get out of your home before the strings start slipping.  Piano tuners charge more for a pitch raise, because there is more to do.  However, if the tuning is not done according to the needs of the piano, you still have an "untuned tune", albeit not as far out as it was before.

Related Article: Care and Maintenance of Your Piano