Piano Tuning

TUNING TIPS 调琴小提示：

Most of us, especially new piano users, often neglect the importance of regular piano tuning with the common misunderstanding that tuning one regularly may shorten the life span of a piano. Real-life results have shown that it is the exact opposite. Tuning your piano, on the other hand, expands the lifespan of your piano while ensuring that it is kept in the tip-top playing condition for a reasonable period of time. Some problems created by non-regular tuning include:

1. Loss of interest in learning the piano especially for beginners

• After tuning, the piano will slowly start to get off-tune regardless of whether it has been played or not. An off-pitched piano is highly detrimental to the sound quality and expressiveness of the piano, which will in turn greatly affect the player's sense of musical pitch and or interest for the playing of piano, especially for beginners.

2. Decrease in average piano usage lifespan

• Lack in professional piano tuning for a long period of time may distort the tension and pressure in a piano's inner structure which may in some cases cause distruption to the operating system.

3. Increase in the rate of breaking of piano strings that leads to extra costs

• The strings will start to break easily after not being tuned for a year or more and starts to get worse thereafter. It will then require expensive string replacement or repair costs while resulting in a possible drop in overall sound quality.

许多朋友，特别是刚接触钢琴的朋友往往会忽视家里钢琴的定期调律，总觉得经常调律会缩短钢琴的使用寿命。其实恰恰相反，钢琴调律可以廷长使用寿命，并使钢琴在一定时间内始终保持良好的状态！  如果家中的钢琴一直不去调音，对于钢琴及音乐初学者，都会带来负面的影响，而且造成很严重的后果, 比如音准偏差、唱歌唱不准，甚至以后的即兴伴奏没有乐感等，对钢琴本身也会造成以下影响:

1. 钢琴调律后，不论有没有使用钢琴都会有相应的走音现象，走音会降低钢琴表现力并影响音色，从而造成误导钢琴学子的音准能力及降低弹奏者弹奏兴趣

2. 长期不调音，会使钢琴减少使用寿命

3. 一年以上没有调律的钢琴，相当容易断弦，从而产生昂贵的换弦维修费用，并有可能造成换弦后的音色不统一现象，让爱琴价值大打折扣。  
   
   

综上所述，钢琴一定要定期调音，周期则根据使用者演奏级别、弹奏频率以及钢琴状态而定，如果因为超过调音周期造成大范围走音的钢琴，由于调音难度及工作量加大，其调音费用将相应增加。因此，为使自已家里的钢琴保值并保持良好状态，大家一定要重视钢琴调音、调律及日常保养！

WHY DOES A PIANO GO OUT OF TUNE? 为什么钢琴会走音？

In order to understand why a piano goes out of tune, it is first necessary to remember that the whole instrument is always under a varying stress. The two-hundred-and-thirty odd strings are stretched at average tensions of 80-90kg apiece; so that the iron plate, together with the heavy wooden framing carries a strain totaling from 15-20 tonnes. 

Changes also take place when your piano’s overall pitch is dependent upon changes in the relative temperature and or humidity, not only when you move your piano. In some temperate regions like Singapore, the relatively higher humidity results in a higher moisture content in the soundboard and a lower string tension.

造成钢琴走音的因素有很多，搬运、温湿度变化、使用频率及弹奏力度等，通常一架正常状态的钢琴根据本身品质及使用情况而决定调音周期，走音是一个微小而持续的过程，因为拉紧一根琴弦轴钉需承受80-90公斤拉扭力，所以严格说从调完音的下一秒就开始走音了，并不仅仅是要经过搬动才会走音，搬动过程中产生的振动只会加速走音，一架专业钢琴在每场演奏会后都要调音，如果使用者无法判断走音情况那么请遵守钢琴说明书的使用保养细则或调音师的建议按时调音，另外长期未调的钢琴断弦风险很高，大家一定要注意。