How Often Should You Tune Your Piano in Louisville?

This is probably the most common question we get as piano technicians. And the honest answer is: it depends — but there is a standard starting point. For most home pianos in Louisville, the industry recommendation is twice per year, or about once every six months. That schedule keeps the instrument stable through Kentucky’s seasonal humidity swings and prevents the pitch from drifting too far. If a piano is played very lightly, the absolute bare minimum we recommend is once per year. Even if it’s not used often, the piano is still under thousands of pounds of string tension. It’s still expanding and contracting with humidity. It’s still aging. Pianos don’t stay stable just because they’re not being played.

Why Twice a Year Is the Standard

In Kentucky, we deal with real seasonal changes — humid summers, dry winters, and everything in between. Those shifts affect the soundboard, which directly impacts string tension and tuning stability. When you tune a piano regularly, you’re making small adjustments each time. In a perfect world, we don’t want to drastically change string tension during a tuning. The smaller the adjustments, the more stable the piano will be afterward. When a piano goes multiple years without tuning, the pitch drifts significantly. That means we have to move the strings much farther to bring it back to standard pitch. The more tension you change at once, the harder it is for the instrument to settle and hold that tuning.

So the rule of thumb is simple:

The more consistently you tune a piano, the more stable it becomes over time.

It Also Depends on How the Piano Is Used

Usage really matters. For a typical home piano — maybe used for lessons, family playing, or casual practice — twice a year keeps things healthy and predictable. Some families prefer once a year, and that can work if expectations are realistic and the instrument isn’t heavily used.

However, when you move into higher-use situations, the schedule changes.

I’ve tuned for university-level musicians and professors who are very sensitive to pitch. One of my former professors preferred tuning three to four times per year, simply because she could hear when it started to bother her. Other professors might tune once or twice annually if they’re not actively performing, or if it doesn’t bother them too much. Churches often choose a recurring schedule. Some tune every four months. Others tune quarterly. Some even tune every other month, especially if the piano is being used weekly for services and rehearsals.

Recording studios usually tune before sessions. If someone is paying to record, they want the piano freshly tuned that day. The same goes for performance venues.

At the University of Louisville, for example, concert pianos are often tuned multiple times in the same week if there are several performances. You might touch up unisons before each concert so the instrument is absolutely fresh every time.

Performing arts centers downtown operate similarly. If there’s a performance, it gets tuned. Period.

So as you can tell, every piano and pianist are different and require a different tuning schedule.

What Happens If You Wait Too Long?

When a piano sits for years without tuning, a few things happen. Pitch drifts. Tuning becomes less stable. Regulation of the action can slowly shift. Dust and debris accumulate inside the action. Small issues that could have been minor corrections sometimes become larger service needs. And again, the longer it sits, the more drastic the tension correction has to be during the next tuning. That doesn’t mean it can’t be corrected — but it does mean the appointment may take longer, and stability afterward may take time to settle. Plus, it also increases the likelihood of strings breaking if a piano has been neglected for too long. Regular service prevents that cycle.

So What’s Right for You?

If you’re unsure, here’s a simple guideline:

    •    Twice per year is ideal for most homes in Kentucky as well as Southern Indiana.

    •    Once per year is the minimum for lightly used instruments.

    •    Three or more times per year makes sense for heavy use, churches, professors, studios, and performance spaces.

Beyond that, it really comes down to preference and sensitivity. Some people hear pitch drift quickly. Others don’t notice it as much. That’s where a conversation with your technician helps.

At River City Piano Service, we’re flexible. If you want to set up a recurring six-month schedule, we can do that. If you prefer reminders and adjust based on use, that works too. The goal isn’t to over-service your piano. It’s to keep it stable, healthy, and enjoyable to play.

If you’re in Louisville and unsure when your piano was last tuned, that’s usually a good sign it’s time. And from there, we can build a schedule that makes sense for how you actually use your instrument.

Contact Us or Schedule Online today!