There are three main factors affecting a piano’s performance that need attention periodically:
Pitch – the pitch will drop if the piano is not tuned on a regular basis. The stability of its environment will very much determine how often it needs to be tuned. Twice a year is a good rule of the thumb for an average piano in a domestic situation. Some older instruments may require more regular tuning. Always ask your tuner if possible to put the piano back in concert pitch.
Touch – the quality of the instrument, amount of use, and changes in its environment will determine how often the piano action should be regulated. On average this is required about every five years.
Voicing (toning) – here again, this is subject to the quality of the piano, and particularly of the hammer felt. Unevenness of tone can be remedied by skilful voicing of the hammers to give a good overall balance. On concert and musicians’ pianos this is done on a regular basis.
