Pitch Raising

Pitch raising is common when a piano is not tuned according to the manufacturer's specifications. Some additional tuning may be necessary to bring it back into tune. This is the most common thing a piano tuner encounters in the field.

Because a piano's strings are held constantly between 40,000 and 50,000 pounds of tension, the strings will stretch over time. The strings on a piano are of different thicknesses and are under different tensions; they can stretch different amounts.

This stretching will cause a net decrease in tension over time and can cause a piano to sound dull and lifeless.

Pitch lowering is sometimes necessary when humidity levels have risen enough to swell the soundboard and bridges and caused a piano to go out of tune.

Measuring a piano is necessary before starting to tune because the piano can accommodate only a certain measureable amount of change.

Through "Tension Analysis"  we are able to measure whether or not your piano needs this extra procedure. At times, only minor adjustments are necessary before doing the final tuning and we are able to "pro-rate" the cost of a pitch raise or lowering.

More detailed information on pitch raising