Streibel Piano Tuning

3) Why did my piano go out of tune so quickly? (This question includes the issue of callbacks as well.) In question #2 I discussed a lot of the reasons pianos go out of tune. Changing climate conditions in the home are the major culprit of a piano going out of tune quickly. As I mentioned earlier, a piano can go out of tune within minutes of a nearby door being opened to extreme outdoor weather conditions. Your piano will likely go out of tune quickly for the following clima...Continue reading

2) How often should my piano be tuned? The best answer is "whenever it needs it." Most piano manufacturers recommend 4 times a year (that's MANUFACTURERS, not DEALERS). When I was at the U of L, I tuned the main concert grand every week, as well as before every concert. I tune for some churches that have their sanctuary pianos every 2 months or so. How does any of this relate to your piano at home? First of all, let's discuss why pianos go out of tune. A lot of people think m...Continue reading

People often pose a lot of the same questions to their piano technician. This seems like an appropriate forum to address some of those questions. 1) How quiet do you need it to tune the piano? I once had a customer ask me if it would be alright if she vacuumed while I tuned the piano... in the same room. Despite my best efforts, I'm sure the surprise showed on my face. That may seem like an obvious one to most of you. What about young children playing near by? Potentially wor...se than a vacuum. A TV or stereo with the volume turned down in the same or a nearby room? A potential problem. Can I tune with background noise? Yes. Does the noise affect the quality of the tuning? Absolutely! Piano tuners need to be able to hear very subtle sounds. Any non-tuning related noise above the volume of a pin dropping on the piano will detract from the tuner's ability to do their best work. Have I tuned in noisy environments? How about a school gymnasium... with a gym class going on? Or how about in the middle of stage setup for a Josh Groban concert? Piano tuners usually develop the ability to "tune out" some background noise, but if you want the best tuning we have to offer, silence is required. "Well, why didn't he say something about the noise?" you might ask. Let's look at that question from the tuner's perspective. You've invited them into YOUR home to work on YOUR piano, and YOUR children are making children noises. How well are you, the customer going to receive criticism about YOUR children in YOUR home? Assume the tuner wants repeat business and the answer is obvious. In conclusion, tuners really appreciate a quiet place to work. We like to do our best work when at all possible. It's very ungratifying to leave a piano that I haven't been able to do my best work on. But I've learned to live with it. I've often fantasized about a customer calling me, unhappy with my tuning, and responding, "Well, just make sure you have as much background noise when you're playing the piano as I did tuning it, and everything will sound fine!" Fantasy has never become reality in this instance, nor is it likely to happen. Stay "tuned" for more questions and answers. B)

Please message me for any piano service-related questions.