How often should a piano be tuned? The answer, of
course, is in the ear of the beholder. Pianos at Orchestra Hall are tuned
before each performance. Lounges featuring pianists commonly tune once a
month. Churches generally tune their performance pianos every 3 or 4
months. Musicians, teachers, and others who are fairly particular about
pitch tend to have their pianos tuned 2 or 3 times a year. (Two or three
times a year is also what most piano manufacturers recommend). Now for the
real world: What about all those home pianos played by children and others
who really can't tell or don't care if their pianos are in tune?
All pianos should be tuned at least once a year just for the purpose of
maintenance. Even at once a year, the piano will be out of
tune part of the year. However, the pitch probably will not deteriorate
beyond a point that prevents the tuner from achieving a good tuning.
Especially where children are concerned, we recommend keeping the piano well
tuned. There is no way children can develop a good sense of pitch if they
are constantly subjected to poor pitch. It is difficult enough to get
children to practice without making them do it on a sour piano.