When is the best time to tune your piano?

If you haven’t tuned your piano in over a year, the best time to tune your piano is….IMMEDIATELY!  Really.  Call your nearest piano tuner, preferably me ;) , and set up an appointment to get your piano tuned.  There is plenty of information out there about why you should regularly tune your piano every 6 months.

This article, however, is all about when the best time of the year to have your piano tuned.  Spring and fall are two very popular choices and there are two glaring reasons why: temperature and humidity.  These two demons are the culprit for the most dramatic changes in your pianos tuning.  Yes, time is the third demon to this equation, but time is far more predictable.  Temperature and humidity change the entire shape of the piano because a piano is primarily made of wood and that wood swells and shrinks due to the air around it, causing the strings to loosen. 

When you turn off your heat in the spring, wait a week or two and then call your local piano tuner.  This is a great time to tune because your piano has just gone through a drastic temperature and humidity change due to the weather changes and will need a pick-me-up.  When you turn on your heat in the fall, it same recipe for success. Not only does the weather outside affect your piano, but so does your heating and cooling systems. So whenever you are turning them on or off for a season, make sure to give your piano a check-up. Also, make sure you keep your piano away from any heating or cooling units, as they will cause even greater fluctuations in the pianos tuning. 

The last note I will add is to tune your piano right before the piano will be played for performance.  Whether it is a piano recital or right before a church’s Easter vigil, you want the piano sounding at its best.  You would also want a piano in tune right before it will be played frequently.  So if your kids are about to hop into lessons again, this is a great time to tune your piano. 

Tuning your piano is like getting your car’s oil changed.  It is just something you don’t want to put off too long. So get your piano tuning scheduled and keep your piano and those that play it happy!