Tuning and Voicing

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    Tunings are the "mainstay" of piano maintenance.  Once tuned to concert pitch, a piano will retain this pitch only until the next seasonal change in climate when the wood parts of the piano expand or contract due to changes in the relative humidity of the piano's environment.  Generally, the pitch goes sharp at the beginning of summer because of an increase in the relative humidity of the surrounding air as doors and windows are opened to let in moist outside air, and the pitch tends to go flat at the beginning of winter because of a decrease in the relative humidity of the air as the home is heated.  Piano owners who practice for performances or for duets with other instruments are wise to call for "concert quality" tunings at the beginning of each season, while most piano owners are satisfied with an annual tuning.  In any case, to ensure optimum tuning stability, tunings should be scheduled during the same season each time they are done.

    If you have just purchased a new or reconditioned used piano, you should allow the piano to become acclimatized to your home for at least a month before the first check and tuning.  The piano should be tuned at least twice during the first year after being moved to a new location, and thereafter annual tunings are recommended.

    The tonal quality of a new piano should be consistent from top to bottom.  The expert piano technician can "voice" the hammers of the piano in order to ensure that the tonal quality (loud, soft, brilliant, dull, etc.) of all the notes is consistent.  After years of striking piano wires under tension, the striking point of hammers wear to form grooves on the striking surface, causing the tone to become dulled.  The wear on the top treble hammers can be so extensive that the felt has worn off completely, resulting in a "clunking" noise as the wood core of the hammers strikes the strings.  Also, over time the felt material of hammers tends to soften, resulting in less brilliant tone.  To restore the tonal quality of a piano, the piano technician can "reshape" the hammers if enough felt remains, or he can install a replacement set.  When appropriate, Ray Klapwyk will recommend improvements in the tonal qualities of your piano.

The Professional Tuner's Basic Tools

Left to right: Temperament strip for muting strings in the middle section which is tuned first, tuning hammer, tuning fork for identifying the pitch of the first note tuned, mutes for silencing the strings not being tuned, voicing tool for decreasing tone dynamic of individual hammers, hammer iron for increasing tone dynamic.