GORDON HOLMES    Piano Tuner

Tel: 07810 898401

London Piano Tuning and Pitch

London pianos should be tuned regularly: Twice a year for a London piano which is in normal use and at least once a year if the London piano has little or no use.

The wood, soundboard and bridges and metal frame expand and contract with general temperature changes.

London pianos which are not tuned for a number of years my develop problems.

For example, the pitch may drop (strings lose tension), resulting in the need for major re-pitch work. Strings may break because they have not been moved (tuned) regularly through the bridges, bridge pins and pressure bars. They stick or corrode on these parts. The risk of this happening is greater if your London piano is not tuned.

London pianos are like machines: They need tuning regularly just as a car needs regular servicing.

If you purchased a new piano and did not have it tuned for 10 years, that would result in the need for major tuning work, re-pitch and possibly the need to replace broken springs even if they are relatively new strings.

The piano might sound in tune, but it is slowly sinking in pitch.

For example, the true C pitch sounds like C on the tuning fork, not C# D, which it is on the piano. It is important for children learning to play the piano to recognise pitch from a young age and not on a piano where other notes sound like C.

Obviously, not all pianos in London can be tuned on pitch because of their history and age. This applies for example if the London piano is kept near a radiator or where sun streams down in a conservatory for a long period of time. If you do keep your piano in a centrally-heated home in London, it should be kept as far from a radiator as possible and precautions should be taken against the effect of the heating such as the use of a humidifier to prevent the wood from drying out.

Older pianos in London are more vulnerable to this effect because more moisture content needs to dry out of the wood. New London pianos are less vulnerable because they are manufactured from kiln-dried wood, but precautions should still be taken. The drying results in damage such as tuning pins working loose, wrest plank, soundboard and bridges splitting.

In addition to London piano tuning, Gordon also offers expert stringing, pinning, action work such as re-centering, felting, regulation and all aspects of technical work.

So, for expert piano tuning and restoration work in West London, South London, South-West London and South-East London as well as East Sussex, West Sussex, West Kent, Surrey, please contact the piano tuner who offers a flexible, personal and value-for-money service. Appointments can be made to suit you during the day, evening or weekend.


Piano Tuner for East Sussex, Surrey, Kent, West Sussex, South London piano tuning