Montreal piano Tuner Patrick Brennan

Tuning by Montreal piano Tuner Patrick Brennan

If you think your piano is not quite in tune and you are looking for an expert piano tuner, Montreal piano Tuner Patrick Brennan, with 25 years of experience offered to you and your piano, can definitely provide the solution! We have built up our company on the basis of courteous, guaranteed and high-quality customer service, and the confidence of our customers is the key to our success. Please call us for information about our services, or continue reading this page to learn about the importance of keeping your piano tuned.

Importance of tuning

Tuning is, in fact, the first, most basic rule of piano care. In addition to giving your instrument a better sound, tuning will prevent the unnecessary wear of your piano; it is also very important for your musical ear and that of your children. A piano contains approximately 220 strings, which, when tuned, are held under a tension of 18 to 20 tons on the piano’s frame. Over time, this tension tends to slacken. It’s not uncommon to come across a piano with a pitch that is ½ tone lower than the international standard of A-440, mainly due to a lack of tuning. This problem often occurs in pianos that have not been tuned for at least five years. The piano tuner will have to tune the piano at least twice, or even three times, in order to restore the correct tension. Moreover, it is impossible to stabilize the tuning of a piano that is very off-key without first bringing it back to pitch. Usually, both steps, i.e. bringing the piano back to pitch and tuning the piano, can be done during the same visit.

Frequency of tuning

Tuning is recommended at least twice a year, and once is the absolute minimum. The frequency, however, will depend on the condition of the piano (tuning pins that are too loose will have difficulty in holding the tension), how often it is played and the humidity control in the room in which it is placed. Seasonal climate changes make a considerable difference to tuning maintenance, since our summers are very humid and our winters are very dry. Indeed, when the humidity is high, the wood parts swell, and the tension of the strings, which is normally between 18 and 20 tons, increases; this results in an increase in pitch. On the other hand, when the air is dry, the wood shrinks, the tension of the strings decreases, and the pitch goes down. Over time, the tuning pins in an untuned piano will become overloaded, and after fifteen years or so, this can result in breaking the soundboard, a very unpleasant and costly problem. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure.

We would also like to give you a few hints on how and where to place your piano. First, it is important that your piano stands away from direct sunlight, radiators and drafts. Too much heat will cause extreme dryness, and this in turn will affect the tuning and possibly the varnished finish of the piano. The temperature of the room where the piano is placed should usually be kept at a moderate temperature of 19oC, and the relative humidity should be in the range of 40 to 60%. If you have difficulty maintaining this humidity, the best solution is to install a humidity control system inside your piano. To the best of our knowledge, the most effective system on the market is an American product, the Dampp-Chaser Climate Control System, which is available in our workshop. If you require more information or would like to make an appointment for us to tune your piano, please feel free to communicate with us.

Montreal piano Tuner Patrick Brennan : 514-969-4849