Piano care
After You Move a Piano: When to Tune
When to tune after a piano move in Austin, why pitch can drop, and when a pitch raise comes before a fine tuning.
A move is hard on a piano even when the movers are careful. The instrument leaves one climate, rides in a truck, and sits in a new room. Pitch often drops. Action parts can shift. The useful question is not who moved it. The useful question is when to tune after it arrives.
What changes during a move
Strings, the soundboard, and the case all respond to temperature and humidity. A truck and a new house rarely match the old room. After the piano is placed, the soundboard keeps moving for days as it takes on or sheds moisture.
You may also notice keys that feel different, a pedal that catches, or a buzz that was not there before. Some of that is settling. Some of it is a part that shifted and needs a look.
Piano ATX does not move pianos. Hire a piano mover for the lift and the truck. Book a technician for pitch, touch, and repairs after the instrument is in place.
When to book the first tuning
A common plan is to let the piano sit in the new room, with ordinary household climate, then schedule a visit. Waiting through a short settle period is kinder than tuning on the same afternoon the piano comes off the truck.
Book sooner if any of these are true.
- The piano was stored, left on a porch, or kept in a garage
- Many notes sound flat together
- Keys stick or a pedal fails
- The piano has not been tuned for two or more years
- You need the instrument for lessons or a performance on a fixed date
A piano that was already due for service before the move will not become stable just because it changed houses. Read how often to tune a piano and when a piano needs pitch correction if the last visit is a distant memory.
After the first visit
Some pianos take a pitch raise on the first trip and a fine tuning after the strings settle. Some need only a tuning once the room has been steady. Kevin will say which path fits the measurement, not a guess from the truck date.
Place the piano away from vents and afternoon sun in the new room if you can. That habit helps the next tuning last. For Austin heat and indoor dryness, see piano humidity control.
Start on the Piano ATX home page or book an appointment once the piano is in its new room.
Ready for a piano visit?
Choose an appointment time and tell us a little about the piano.