How often to tune a barely-used piano?

[kotoko]

A quick question: if I have an upright, apartment-sized piano that isn't used very often, how often does it need to be tuned?

This piano used to get a lot of play time back when me and my two siblings took lessons. Now, we're done our lessons and have moved out, but my parents have kept the piano. However, it's been years since it's been tuned and when I played it today, it was noticeably out of tune.

My parents are now retirees and I'm sure they just don't want to cough up the money for a piano my mom might play once every couple of months. When I visit, though, I like to play a little bit - nothing intensive but anything simple for the fun of it. I'd be willing to help pay for the tuning cost because I hate to see a piano fall into disrepair, but I'm also wondering how long would it be until the piano would have to be tuned again?

[hfmadopter]

Depends on the condition of the piano and the environment it sits in. If it is in a house with no AC in the summer and long winters with the heat on the tune will drift a lot more than one that is in a climate controlled situation. If the climate changes quite a bit  then twice a year would be a good suggestion, if not then once a year. If the pins are starting to loosen up a bit then it is nice to do touch up tunings ( I do my own tunings) as a single note drifts a little bit, though most people would just wait for their annual or bi annual tuning..

Next would be the time of year to do it. Wait till the seasons are in full swing and close to a time when you might be visiting more often if you are in an area with big seasonal changes. Maybe have it done in early Nov. before the holidays for instance ( thinking here in the North East USA). If you are in an area with fairly stable climates year round then  once a year would be fine or even 18 months with a tight pinned piano. We have vast swings in climate here from 90 or 100% relative humidity at night in the summer to 10% on a winters day cold snap. We are pumping water into our air in the winter in the house and sucking it out in the summer and the piano still swells a bit in the summer and shrinks back down right about now Nov. with the heat on fully. Time to break out the humidifier.

.