Makeanote Piano Services

A standard tuning takes around an hour and a half to two hours. If the piano hasn't been tuned for quite some time, extra time is required to return the pitch to a more consistent level so any level fine tuning can be sustained for longer.

Once the piano is tuned, regular (ideally annual) tunings will ensure that the piano remains an enjoyable instrument to play for years to come. Also, any problems or issues that may develop in the keys, strings or action can be addressed by the technician before they become troublesome or cause playability issues.

A piano that has general, weekly use should be tuned at least every 12 months, more frequently if used by a teacher or professional student. Pianos that aren't used frequently or not at all should still be serviced every 2 years to maintain the pitch level.

The piano is an instrument to be played and enjoyed, and will eventually lose its tuning accuracy over time whether it is used or not. A piano will not be damaged if it isn't used, but a piano left unused for a long period can attract mice and other damaging pests.

Also, the longer a piano is left untouched can require more time and work to get it back into a playable and enjoyable state.

It's really helpful to have the top of the piano cleared for easy access - including pictures, vases and other items. While tuning, a quiet atmosphere free from distraction is best, which includes no mowing, vacuuming or other music sources playing if possible.

Try to avoid having plants and candles on the piano as they can be the cause of (significant) damage by water or wax into the internals of the piano.

The long-term stability and success of a piano's tuning is largely due to the reliability and integrity of the pinblock. If the pinblock begins to separate or even crack, the pins aren't able to hold tension and those particular notes become untunable. There are some cases where larger pins might be needed or the pins can be driven further into the block which will restore the torque needed. A sign of this condition in the piano is a note or cluster of notes that are noticeably bad.

Upright pianos such as the overdamper are fiddly to tune and often, due to their age and condition of the action, are not financially advised to service. To know if your piano is an overdamper style, when you look into the piano from the top, if you can't clearly see the hammers, your piano is most probably an overdamper. Send a photo through for clarification.

Some upright Beale pianos have a particular tuning system that uses a metal-style pinblock (sometimes branded as the Beale-Vader tuning system). They were designed to avoid the effects of the harsh climate changes experienced in many parts of Australia and as such can hold their tunings for long periods of time. As many of these pianos have aged, however, the pin system can become overly tight and the pins can be damaged without taking the proper time and precautions to access and release the pin bolts where necessary. As a result, a Beale upright with this tuning system can take a little more time to tune than a standard piano. 

It can be very tempting to look for a free or cheap piano, particularly when looking for an instrument for a young student to start out on or for a mature-aged person to recommence playing. However, there are some things to watch out for before committing to paying to move a piano into your home and then pay to have it tuned and discover that their are further costs to have it repaired or brought up to a playable level:

# Ask when the piano was last serviced - do they have any written evidence of this?
# Do all the notes work? Starting at the bottom note and looking inside the piano, play each note 4 times in succession - do the hammers return each time and do the notes sound equally loud?
# Do any of the notes sound really off? Listen particularly for clusters of notes or an individual note that stands out amongst other, cleaner sounding notes. It could be a sign of an overly loose pin or cracked pin-block.
# Are there any broken strings or missing hammers?
# Do any notes continue to sustain (hold for longer) after the note has been released?

If you're still not sure, Ian would (personally) suggest (for an upright) considering a Kawai, Yamaha or Steinbach no older than 40 years old. For a modest fee, Ian will inspect the piano and provide a report, testing the pins, all notes, pedals and making an assessment of the condition of the action, casework and tuning condition, as well as the costs associated with repairing them. Send Ian an enquiry to find out more.

You cannot (and should not) use a guitar tuner to satisfactorily tune a piano.

Traditionally, the tuning process begins by setting the middle string of A4 (the A above Middle C) to vibrate at 440 Hz. This is followed by tuning A3 (the A below Middle C) as a pure octave to A4. Intervals of 4th and 5ths are then used to construct a temperament octave in the centre of the piano (the temperament Ian uses is from F3 to A4). This temperament becomes a template that is copied up and down the piano, accounting also for any harmonic stretch in the upper and lower registers.

There are a number of professional Apps (or ETDs (Electronic Tuning Devices)) that can be used to assist in the tuning process. They can be particularly helpful for pianos that have fallen significantly flat and require a pitch adjustment. Ian currently makes use of Tunelab and Verituner for these purposes, but performs aural tests and checks for fine tuning and unisons with a standard tuning.

Perhaps more significant than just having each note at the correct pitch is ensuring the setting of the pins and strings. This important technique involves stabilising the tension and twist of the string / pin so that, on heavy playing, the string isn't easily disturbed resulting in the notes falling noticeably flat.