Q: My piano is not played very often. Why does it still go out of tune?

A: Your piano is made of many wooden, metal, felt and leather parts. Seasonal changes affect the caused the wooden parts to expand and contract, which lowers and raises the pitch, causing the piano to go out of tune.

Q: Do pianos that are played very frequently get tuned often?

A: Yes, concert pianos are tuned before each performance, while teaching pianos are tuned as often as once per week. The fact that these pianos receive frequent and often hard use, requires extra maintenance.

Q: How often should I have my piano tuned?

A: Most manufacturers recommend at least twice per year, but it is ultimately up the individual piano owner. Having your piano tuned twice per year will be an excellent way to counter balance for the seasonal changes it is exposed to. If you feel that it is not played often enough for two tunings, one tuning would help maintain the piano, and the tuner would be more likely to find and rectify problems before they become very expensive to fix.

Q: My piano sounds too bright, almost metallic. Is there anything that can be done about that?

A: Yes, with proper voicing techniques, the piano could be made more mellow, or brighter, but it really depends a lot on the piano and the condition of the action parts, especially the hammers. One must also remember that each piano is different, and more can be done with some pianos, than would be possible with others.

Q: I am in the market for a new piano. How do I go about selecting one?

A: I always recommend to buy the best piano that you can afford. Newer is not always better, but it is usually the case, because pianos are made of wood, and do not last forever. The easier a piano is to play, and the nicer it sounds, the more likely it is that the aspiring pianist will continue with lessons for a long time. Perhaps even for a lifetime of enjoyment. Pianos that are difficult to play or that do not sound very good may cause a loss of interest and no desire to continue practicing.