Your piano is a unique instrument with the capability of producing the largest range of pitches of any musical acoustic device. Your piano is also difficult to tune and keep in tune because of its more than 250 strings being held under very high tension.

Why do pianos go out of tune? Primarily, it's because of fluctuations in relative humidity.

When the soundboard, pinblock and bridge are in an environment with high relative humidity, the wood cells absorb moisture, then swell. As they expand, they pull the strings tighter, causing the piano to go sharp. If the seasons change or the piano is moved to an environment with lower relative humidity, the wood shrinks, the strings loosen and the piano goes flat.

While tuning is an accepted part of piano maintenance, you can control the frequency with which you have to tune by providing your piano with an environment that has relatively constant humidity and temperature. This allows you to enjoy your piano more while tuning it less.

Learn more about providing your piano with an ideal environment.