Larry Gerling Piano Tuning & Repair FAQs

Q: What if my piano hasn’t

been tuned in a long time?
A: It is possible, but not always

the case, that the pitch will be

below “concert pitch” (A-440)

due to the relaxing of the

strings. There are two basic

procedures:

 

1. Leave the pitch where it is
and tune all the strings equally flat so that the piano is in tune with itself. The downside of that is that you will not be able to tune with other instruments.

 

2. Raise the pitch, that is, stretching the strings out by pulling them a little sharp, then immediately tune the piano at concert pitch. The danger is that there is a greater chance of strings breaking due to metal fatigue and rust. My procedure in any tuning is to lower the tension on the string first to break any corrosion on the strings, minimizing the chance of breaking.

Q: I’m looking to get a cheap piano to start my children in piano lessons. What should I look for?
A: I believe one should buy a piano that will invite the child to play. If the piano sounds tinny or doesn’t respond well to the touch, the child will not be enriched and drawn to practice. I strongly urge people to make a decent investment rather than to get something that may be inexpensive but doesn’t play or sound good, thereby squelching the interest and minimizing the success of their child.

Q: What is a good brand of piano to buy?
A: As with any product, there are some companies that consistently produce quality pianos, but the name alone will not guarantee a fine musical instrument. The most important factors in a piano are tone quality and touch.
Tone quality includes resonance (richness of tone), evenness of tone from top to bottom, especially where the bass strings meet the tenor strings, and how long a tone will sustain, especially in the area one to two octaves above middle C, where most melodies are written. The longer the tone “sings” before it dies away, the better the piano.

 

The touch would include how hard or easy it is to play, the consistency of control one has, and the ability to play louds and softs.

Q: How can I find the age of my piano?
A: There is a web site that will allow you to research this: http://www.pianoatlas.com. Each piano has a serial number, usually found on the harp or plate of a grand and on the inside of the vertical piano, but occasionally on the back. It usually is 5-7 digits long, and on newer pianos sometimes has a letter in front, not to be confused with a model number, which only has a couple numbers and/or letters. Once you found this information, you will
be able to research the age of the piano and other information about the company on the internet. The company name is usually embedded on the plate of the piano, which may not be the same as the decal above the keys, which can be added by a refinisher.