Often as piano tuners we are called with an enquiry that a second hand piano has arrived to its new home but is a step down, sounds off, or some notes sound like the notes below what they are. The cause of this issue is the piano being below concert pitch, typically A440 bar some exceptions.
Concert pitch is an internationally agreed standard for the tuning of musical instruments, in which the note A above middle C has a frequency of 440 Hz. All new pianos will be tuned to concert pitch.
Regular tuning, twice a year, ensures your piano remains at pitch. Prolonged periods without tuning can cause the pitch to drop. Depending on how low the pitch has dropped and how old the piano is, there is a strong possibility the piano will not return to pitch without significant work. In this case it is better to tune a piano ‘to itself’.
Tuning a piano ‘it itself’ in its simplest terms is measuring where the A above middle C is in terms of frequency and setting the corresponding intervals and beat rates in line with that A note.
The pros of this are straightforward – the piano will take a stable tuning, no needless tension will be added to the instrument and it will stay solidly in tune for six months or more.
The cons include not being able to play with other instruments unless you tune them down, clashing with choirs or others accompanying the piano, the notes sounding slightly off to a well trained ear, and non compliance with teaching apps such as Flowkey.
Nine times out of ten I advise against raising a the pitch of a piano. Unless it is a newer model, used for exams or high grades, recording music or other high end work having a piano below pitch is not the end of the world.
It is worth querying with your tuner what the pitch of your piano is the next time you have a tuning to understand a little better the health of your piano and what can be done to improve the tone.
Gary Woods Piano Tuning 