How to Tell if a Piano is Out of Tune

The piano is a wonderfully expressive instrument that has been used for centuries as a means for musicians to express themselves and display their talent. However, a piano is only as good as its tuning. An out of tune piano can make or break any performance and can be painful to hear. Follow these steps to tell if a piano is out of tune.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Play a few notes on the piano. Try playing a scale or a set of arpeggios and listen to the tuning with your ear before using any tuning instruments. Then use an electronic tuner to determine the level your tuner is out of tune.

2. Pay special attention to whether there has been extreme humidity or temperature changes in the room where the piano is before trying to tune. Fix any temperature or humidity problems to prevent further tuning issues.

3. Determine whether you need to hire a professional to come with proper tools to tune your piano or if you can tune the instrument yourself. Look into purchasing a piano tuning kit if you feel you have the necessary expertise to tune your own piano.

4. Contact a piano tuning technician to ensure the proper tuning of your piano. Find a tuning professional that can tune your instrument well. The best tuners are usually part of the Piano Technicians Guild.

5. Keep your piano in a temperature that is conducive to proper tuning; 68 degrees F is an ideal temperature for a piano. Try to maintain about 35 to 55 percent humidity in the room, since this level will keep your piano well tuned and play ready.

Tips & Warnings

• Contact music schools at colleges or universities and inquire about tuning professionals for hire; they should point you in the right direction.
• A tuner is one who tunes pianos. A tuner/technician is a highly trained professional who can help with the acute tuning of your piano.
• Know all of the particulars about your piano before contacting a tuner, such as when it was made, what kind of piano, when it was last tuned and whether you want a tune or a full service on your piano.
• Do not tune your piano yourself if you have no technical knowledge of pianos or tuning.

Resources

• A Good Article for Help With Piano Tuning
• Useful Information on Tuning Technology