Proven Success – Sam Haasenritter

Tuning is the process of adjusting string tension so that each note is at the proper frequency.

• Almost all piano makers agree that a piano should be tuned 3-4 times the first year (to compensate for how fast new piano strings stretch), and then a minimum of 2 times per year afterwards.

• In the ballpark of 3 to 5 years between tunings, the pitch of most pianos will drift too far for the tuning to compensate for. When that is the case, a pitch correction will be necessary.

◦ A useful analogy is to compare this to golfing. In much the same way that putting the ball is only performed when the hole is so close that it can be tapped in, the tuning itself is only capable of micro changes of the pitch. And, it doesn’t matter if the ball is 25 yards or 250 yards off the green, extra effort will be needed to drive the ball close enough to be able putt it into the hole. Similarly, a pitch correction (or more when necessary) is needed when the pitch is beyond the limits that a tuning is capable of.