Piano Tuner Wilmington DE Answers, “Why tune a piano?”

As your piano tuner Wilmington DE, I am occasionally asked, “Why should a piano owner bother to tune the piano?” There are several reasons, some concerning the preservation of the instrument, and some concerning the ear of the owner or owner’s family members.

First we will discuss the importance of tuning if a child is learning to play the piano. Parents who do not play piano often believe that the sound of the piano does not matter if a child is just beginning lessons. The belief seems to be that a child does not have sensitive hearing, and it will somehow develop later. In fact, children have very sensitive hearing, and it is important that they learn the proper pitch of music. If a piano is not tuned at least once a year, it drops in pitch so that music does not sound the way it should, making learning more difficult. If a child practices at home on a piano that is the wrong pitch, then piano lessons will be more difficult since the teacher’s piano will presumably be at the correct pitch.

When a piano is out of tune, it is not only the wrong pitch, but also the sound is less beautiful and rewarding. Neurologists have reported that learning to play piano is one of the most complex activities they have found for the human brain. For a child to learn such a difficult skill, they need to have all the support they can get. That support includes having a piano that sounds beautiful, so that the child is rewarded for their effort. As a parent, you have only one chance. If a child looses their enthusiasm for learning to play, you don’t get to go back and say, “We were only kidding. If you get your enthusiasm back, we will get the piano tuned, so it will reward your effort.” It will not happen.

Our next article will discuss the importance of piano tuning for protecting your investment in purchasing the instrument. If you have any questions about pianos, please let us know. Kenneth Keith Piano Services is your piano tuning Wilmington DE expert. We provide professional piano services in Philadelphia, Eastern Shore MD and Southern NJ as well.