New Piano Owners: Why the First Year of Tuning Matters More Than You Think

The first year of tuning matters because it establishes a habit of regular maintenance that will extend the life of the piano.

There you are, admiring your brand new (or new to you) piano as it gently reflects the warm light of a summer day. A thing of beauty is a joy forever indeed! Your piano is now in place and ready to serve you in whatever way you desire. However, you remember the piano dealer (or the internet) say that the piano needs to be tuned after it is moved and on a regular 6-12 month basis after that. You may wonder to yourself, “How important is it really to establish this maintenance schedule?”

Imagine the following scenario. The piano has just been positioned in the optimum place in your home by experienced movers [LINK TO MY ARTICLE ON WHERE A PIANO SHOULD BE IN YOUR HOUSE]. And there the piano sits, being played to the delight of all (or graced by toddlers if your house is like mine; but either way, the memories are sweet). 

Since things are going well, you may wonder if the piano needs tuning after all. Nothing seems to be immediately wrong, so you let the instrument sit there in its place of glory with no tunings or maintenance. As the years go by, however, you start to hear comments from family members in town on the holidays about how out of tune the piano is. Even though it is slight, the embarrassment is real. How could this situation have been prevented?

Simple: establishing a maintenance schedule. With anything in life, there are some things that require work before flourishing can come. With consistent effort, flourishing will inevitably come (think learning a language or keeping weeds out of your garden). If work stops, the flourishing might continue for a short while, but over time, one will wither instead of flourish. Before freedom comes discipline.

Pianos are no different. Though the upfront work of establishing a maintenance schedule for your may be new and difficult, the flourishing that will come from such a schedule will be worth every moment (and every penny). 

Part of our service at Marcum Music Services is to decrease friction for our clients regarding reminders and scheduling. Once we’ve been to your home to tune once, we will reach back out to you at the regularly recommended intervals so you never even have to think about it.

If you’d like to learn more or if you’d like to establish a piano maintenance routine that is second to none, feel free to reach out to us any time