Pitch Raises
If a piano hasn’t been tuned in over a year or two, its pitch may have dropped significantly. If the piano were fine-tuned in this state, the pitch would drop slightly after tuning. Raising the pitch involves a quick rough tuning, bringing the pitch up slightly higher than A440 (the standard pitch) so that it falls to about where it needs to be. It can then be fine-tuned. This also works in reverse for pianos that are sharp. In most cases, this process does not take up extra time and I do not need to charge extra. The rough tuning to raise the pitch only takes about 10-15 minutes. However, if the piano is extremely flat, and other factors such as age and condition are a concern, multiple rough tunings (2-3 rounds) may be required along with additional stabilization. In such cases, an extra fee may apply.
What is a pitch raise?
My piano hasn't been tuned in years and another technician told me it would require several appointments.
Two widely respected books in the piano tuning field—Piano Servicing, Tuning, and Rebuilding by Arthur A. Reblitz and Pianos Inside Out by Mario Igrec—both state that pitch raises should typically be done in a single appointment. However, Igrec notes that if a piano is less than a quarter tone flat, a follow-up tuning may be needed within 1-6 weeks if the instrument is particularly unstable. If the piano is more than a quarter tone flat, it should be retuned twice within the same timeframe.
In my experience, when I've followed up within six weeks on pianos that were a quarter tone flat or more, most remained stable at A440, with some requiring only minor tweaks. I've concluded that the stability of a piano that hasn't been tuned in years is unpredictable, with factors such as age, condition, manufacturer, location and weather changes also playing a role. Because of this, I encourage clients to reach out if they notice the tuning slipping within six weeks. I offer follow-up tunings at a discounted rate within this time frame. Either way, the piano should be tuned again in six months to maintain stability.