This is the third article in a series of articles that explain the benefits of regular piano tuning. The first article explained the benefits for a student who’s learning to play, and the second article discussed how it helps to preserve the life of your piano. In this article we’ll explain in detail more about the technical aspects of your piano’s internal structure in order to give you a better understanding of why it is so important to have your Wilmington piano tuning performed on a regular basis.
Did you know that there are over two hundred strings on a standard piano? Piano strings are made of high tension steel wire that can stand the constant tension of about 150 lbs. When a piano is tuned twice a year, the tension drops only slightly between tunings. As a result, the strings are only minimally stressed during a piano tuning.
However, if a piano is not tuned regularly, the tension on the strings drops considerably. In such a case, there is an increased risk of the strings breaking during the stress of raising the tension and pitch while tuning the piano. There are several reasons for this:
When strings are tuned to their designed pitch, they are at about 70% of their breaking tension. Pianos are designed this way so that the strings will make a sound that is loud enough to fill a room. When strings are raised in tension and pitch, they fall 10-38% of the amount that they were changed, due to flexing of the instrument and also to the transfer of tension across the bridges. There are two “bridges” inside a piano which are attached to the soundboard. One bridge is a treble and the other (shorter) bridge is the bass. The piano bridges play a very crucial role in the sound of a piano. It’s the job of the piano bridge to connect the source of the sound (from the strings) to the sound amplifier (the piano soundboard).
When a piano tuner Wilmington DE raises the pitch on a piano, he/she must raise the pitch above the level that the piano is designed for, and within ten minutes the pitch falls down close to the desired level. In addition, the portion of the string that is near the tuning pins must be raised to a greater tension than the portion of the string that is heard. This combination of factors can easily result in the tension on the strings reaching 100% of their breaking tension, which means they will break. Strings are expensive to replace, so it is advisable to keep the tension on your piano optimal with regular tuning.
Every major piano manufacturing company recommends tuning your piano every 6 months, in order to preserve and extend the piano’s life. Your Philadelphia and Delaware piano tuner is prepared to perform precise piano tuning services for you on a regular basis.
