What’s the difference between a piano and a fish?

“You can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish!”

As I write this I am listening to the piano technician tune my acoustic pianos. He works completely by ear. He tightens or loosens every metal string [nearly every key on a piano has three strings] so they all sound good with each other, and the piano can be played in any key. (This is called equal temperament. It also realigns my own temperament, since I don’t cringe anymore when someone plays the piano.)

Which reminds me to ask, when did you last get your piano tuned?

A piano should be tuned at least once a year. In this climate with its dramatic changes in humidity, tuning your piano twice a year is even better. If your piano has recently moved into your home, let it adjust to your home’s climate for a month or so, and then get it tuned. If your piano has recently had some work done, you may need to get it tuned two or three times. And if your piano has parts that stick, squeak, or are broken, book an appointment today to get your piano fixed.

Having a piano in good repair at home is invaluable for students. It is so discouraging and frustrating for a student to work through a unit on ear training or harmony, only to get home to a piano that doesn’t sound quite right. There’s not much point in practicing, and then that knowledge will be lost.

You will notice a subtle difference in the sound when you listen to your resident pianist play. Everything will sound more harmonious. Restore everyone’s temperament and get your piano tuned.

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