A pitch raise is a common procedure in the world of piano tuning. This is sometimes called a “double tuning” since 2 tunings are performed at the same visit.

A quick explanation of Pitch: Standard pitch is set at A440. This means that most of the recorded music you hear and most concert instruments are built to play at A440. If a piano is flat and happens to have a pitch of A420 and you try to match a flute with the piano, the two instruments will not match.

Pianos can drift flat if they are not tuned frequently. If a piano hasn’t been tuned in more than 2 years, it most likely needs a pitch raise. A pitch raise requires 2 tunings performed in sequence at the appointment. The first tuning is a “rough pass” to get the piano close to where it needs to be. Then, a fine tuning comes after the first tuning. If a piano hasn’t been tuned in more than 10 years, or is almost a half step flat, it may need a double pitch raise (2 rough pass tunings and a fine tuning).

A piano should get tuned 2 times a year in the New York climate. Changes in humidity cause the wood to expand and contract with the change of season. Winter is dry so the wood in the piano shrinks and causes the piano to go flat. In the summer humidity rises and the wood expands and causes the piano to go slightly sharp. For this reason a piano should get tuned in the winter and in the summer. For a piano that gets a lot of use, it should get tuned 4 times a year, once for every season. Pianos are built to be at A440! Let’s keep them there by getting the piano tuned frequently.

Most manufacturers and dealers recommend pianos to be in a room around 65-70 degrees fahrenheit and to have a humidity level between 30%-60%. The ideal humidity is between 40%-50%. Typically in the climate around New York City, winters tend to be where humidity drops and summer are where humidity spikes. These changes cause the wood to expand and contract inside the piano. In turn, this causes the strings to expand and contract which then causes the piano to shift out of tune.

Pianos, like violins, guitars, and other stringed instruments, rely on the resonance of wood to create the unique timbre that people associate with the instrument. Since wood is “alive” and reacts to the changes in the climate, this is both why the piano is so unique but also why it needs to be tuned and maintained regularly.

Not necessarily! Any piano, whether it’s free or not, should be looked at by a professional before acquiring. The cost of moving a piano alone ($400-600) nullifies the “free” aspect of a piano. Some free pianos are in good to fair condition. Some free pianos look like they’re in fair condition from the outside, but there could structural damage inside the piano that may deem the piano unplayable or not worth rebuilding. Beware the free piano! Metro Piano can look at any piano and make an assessment on the condition/value of the piano.