Why won’t my piano stay in tune?
Here’s what to do when your piano refuses to get in, or stay in, tune.
Have your piano technician perform pitch map and pin torque tests. These will determine the condition of the pinblock – the most important part of any piano. If the test results reveal an irregular pitch map or low pin torque, the possible reasons are:
- Pinblock de-lamination – the pinblock is a thick piece of laminated wood. If it dries up, the glues holding the layers of wood together will fail.
- Tuning pin hole stripping – from years of humidity fluctuations, the pin holes lose their ability to hold the pins tightly.
- Pinblock cracking – one or more layers crack due to mechanical stresses – once again, more likely to occur with wide fluctuations in humidity.
While there are a number of other reasons why your piano won’t stay in tune, these are the major reasons.
How can I get my piano to stay in tune?
Not so long ago, the remedies for a less than adequate pinblock were, well, less than adequate. You had a choice between:
- Pinblock replacement – a very expensive remedy that will provide 50+ years of service.
- Pinblock re-pinning – a moderately expensive remedy that may not work in all cases, and can potentially provide 10-15 years of service.
- Pinblock glycerin treatment – an inexpensive remedy that is messy, rarely works, but can potentially provide 5 years of service.
Now, with the advent of cyanoacrylate glues, it may be possible to get your piano to stay in tune quickly, and inexpensively. Although this remedy will not work on all pianos, it is worth discussing this option with your technician. If the pinblock is judged to be de-laminating, this option will not work well. This procedure can be performed in the home, and generally takes a few hours.