HAVE YOU TUNED YOUR PIANO THIS YEAR?
Perhaps the single biggest impact you can make on your child’s musical development is to make sure they have a well-tuned piano in good condition. It does not have to look pretty, but what is inside must function correctly. No broken strings, no sticking keys, no problems with the damper pedal holding notes when it has already been released.
And it needs to be tuned regularly!
An out-of-tune piano impacts negatively on your child’s musical understanding. Not only does it corrupt their ear for music, but it can lead to false music making, especially when it comes to self-exploration and improvisation, which I encourage. It can even lead to the demise of a healthy practice routine.
If you want to rekindle your child’s enthusiasm for the piano, tuning it is the best way to do so!
“Perhaps the single biggest impact you can make on your child’s musical development is to make sure they have a well-tuned piano in good condition.’ – Mrs M. Greyvenstein
An ill-maintained piano not only kills the joy of music, but it also impacts negatively on the life of your piano. Extremes in temperature and humidity levels damage the soundboard and tuning pegs, but so does fluctuation in the tension of the strings.
The longer a piano is left out of tune, the longer it will take to get it back into tune. It is not like a guitar that you just turn the peg and it’s in tune. We are talking about 18 tons of pressure here. It can’t all be applied at once. And an unscrupulous piano tuner is as bad as not tuning at all. Make sure you call someone who has been recommended by a music teacher.
How often is “regularly”?
A concert grand piano gets tuned before every performance. That gives you an indication of the importance of tuning!
For an at-home piano the best is to tune it once every 6 months. This keeps your piano on an even keel and will ensure it stays in good condition. At the very least it should be done once a year. NO LESS!
When you are looking for a “new” piano, how regularly it has been tuned is also an important factor to consider. You do not want to purchase an ill-maintained piano, as it is going to cost you too much to get it into tune again, besides the fact that it has shortened the piano’s lifespan.
Please book your next tuning!
