Tuning in private homes comprises the majority of my work; however, I have also worked for Bozeman Public Schools, Montana State University, Music Faculty’s personal piano, recording studios and have done concert tunings. I have tuned pianos for many great Jazz pianists, including: Dave Brubeck, Ahmad Jamal, McCoy Tyner, Ramsey Lewis, Tommy Flanagan, Diana Krall and Phil Aaberg.
Most manufacturers recommend tuning at least twice a year. If your piano has gone without tuning for more than one year, it may have dropped in tension and pitch.
Pianos have over 200 strings with about 150 lbs. of tension on each string. That totals around 30,000 lbs. of tension. As a result, pianos are constantly dropping in pitch. If your piano has dropped too much to be brought up in one tuning, it would require a pitch raise OR two tunings spaced by a couple of weeks in between tunings
A pitch raise consists of rough tuning above pitch by a calculated amount so that on the second pass (tuning) it can be tuned optimally. Many factors determine which is best for your instrument, and these can only be evaluated in person with my hands on my tuning lever.