Piano Tuning

[cherylim94]

I've recently completed my dipABRSM (just the quick study retake section) and don't have time to further pursue music due to college etc.
 
The second and last time I tuned my piano was two years ago. I have a European baby grand (150cm-ish) and it is nearly four years old.
 
Should I schedule for another tuning session if I am not going to practice frequently anyway?

Thanks all for input

[iansinclair]

I'd be very much inclined to.  It's not all that expensive, and tuning once a year -- which is probably all you need if the instrument is in decent shape -- will keep it from getting really strange and thus simplify things immensely when you do get a chance to get back to it.

[quantum]

In the long run a yearly maintenance tuning may cost you less then putting your piano through neglect for several years.  You don't want to discover a whole bunch of problems when you return to your piano, that could have been prevented by simple maintenance.

[Bob]

I'd lean toward regular tuning, keeping it as much the same as possible.

I've seen several pianos (but these were crappy uprights) that hadn't been tuned in years.  Then they get tuned and have to be tuned several times before the tuning holds.  So you end up paying either way.  One tuner mentioned the piano wants to return to the way it's been in for several years.  It makes sense.  The piano finally levels off with whatever out-of-tuneness it ends up in.  Then a tuner cranks it up.  It's probably going to start unwinding.  It would depend on the quality of the piano too.  But if the piano is constantly kept in tune, I would imagine it would kind of 'wear in' into that tuning spot on the piano.  Probably better than having large adjustments made or having the pins turn a lot in the long run too.

[hfmadopter]

Probably better than having large adjustments made or having the pins turn a lot in the long run too.

Yes after leaving my piano for a long time it took several tunings to get it to hold. Not only that but you couldn't get it all in in one tuning anyway. One string broke as well, several pins had to be driven in a little bit. It holds pretty well now but needs tuning right now. It held all summer though, the season change has now occurred. I'll probably tune it back down to A438 on the winter tuning. It tends to start pulling itself up in the summer months with the added humidity, so back in June I just adjusted it to A440. Being a late 1800's piano it really sounds great tuned from A438. In June it was easier to just adjust a few strings a little bit and level it off from A440 than to let the whole thing down. But I prefer the instrument tuned to A438 really.

So the long and short of this, is I suggest as well to have the piano tuned at least annually.