New piano tuning knowledge

1. Does a new piano need to be tuned?

A new piano needs to be tuned. The various materials used in a newly produced piano will have relatively greater internal stresses (here are mainly the Refers to the piano body, strings, and steel plates. These main components have been subjected to artificial aging and natural aging during the production process). Over time, the internal stress of each component of the piano will slowly be released, thereby making the piano The stability is becoming more and more stable, which is why older pianos are always more stable than new ones. If the piano has been transported long distances or moved frequently, it will also cause changes in pitch.

Due to the viscoelasticity of the wood itself (like good dough, it is both elastic and has the property of deforming over time), the deformation of the soundboard occurs slowly over time. Although the deformation caused by the viscoelasticity of wood is slow, its effect on the pitch is still obvious, so the piano must be tuned to offset this deformation from the time it is made to the time it is scrapped. In addition, the strings of the piano have metal extensions. Under long-term and sustained huge tension, it will lengthen and deform, resulting in a lowering of pitch, which is also a reason for changes in piano intonation.

Tuning method

1. The fourth and fifth degree tuning method. This method uses the upper four and lower five in the closed-loop cycle of the reference tone group to obtain the 12 equal temperament, and then uses the 8 degree Extension.

2. The three-sixth degree tuning method. This method uses a relatively large number of three-sixth-degree beats, so it is difficult to distinguish the number, and then uses 8 degrees to expand it. It is a common method used by domestic tuners at present. Way.

3. Electronic instrument tuning method This method uses the principle of electronic waveform sampling, and its software includes YAMAHA, Tunelab, etc. When high-quality pickups are used, software can assist calibration well and achieve higher accuracy, but some staid domestic tuners usually sneer at this.

Tuning tools

1. Silencing tools. Piano tuning is a process of tuning one note at a time and string by string. Most of the piano's notes are composed of homophonic string groups, that is, one note is composed of two or three strings. When tuning, it is necessary to tune the strings that are not temporarily tuned. Be careful to prevent it from making unnecessary sounds, so as not to interfere with the sound of the string being tuned and affect the tuning hearing. This is also the role of sound-stopping tools. Damping tools include damping tapes, damping tapes, damping tapes, treble damping clips, treble damping rods, metal handle treble damping tapes and chain-type damping tapes.

2. Pronunciation tools. A tuning tool is an audio tool that can produce or emit pure tones with a fixed frequency and can be used as a tuning standard tone or for calibrating and testing pitches. Tuning tools mainly include tuning forks, electronic tuning forks and pitch meters.

3. Tuning tools. The only tuning tool is a tuning wrench. A tuning wrench is a special tool that turns the piano peg pin to adjust the string tension to raise or lower the pitch.

4. Auxiliary tools. There are three auxiliary tools in the tuning tool: one is called the "socket loading and unloading wrench"; the other is a screwdriver; and the third is the "reverse stopper adjusting wrench".

2. Things to note when tuning the piano

Things to note when tuning: When tuning the piano, remember that "the piano should be moved small and not large". This is as a pianist. The tuner’s first piano tuning rule.

Because the piano is tuned for a long time, it will cause the pitch to deviate too much. "It is better to move the piano in small steps and not in big steps", which is good for the piano itself and the strings. If the pitch deviates too much during debugging, even if it is adjusted to the standard pitch, due to the increase in tension, the piano will have an adaptation process in the new balanced state, and the pitch will drop quickly.

It needs to be adjusted several times to keep the sound stable. This increases the difficulty of piano debugging, thereby increasing the debugging costs.

The piano has more than 200 strings in total, and each string bears a tension of about 90 kilograms. After a period of playing vibration and being affected by changes in temperature and humidity, the tension will decrease. , affecting the intonation, which is often called "change of pitch". This will inevitably affect our hearing experience.

Especially for beginners, they need to establish a good fixed pitch concept from the beginning. Therefore, pianos need to be tuned and mechanically cleaned 1-2 times a year.

3. Does the newly purchased piano not need to be tuned?

No, people in the piano store will usually say that the newly purchased piano is already tuned when it leaves the factory, so there is no need to adjust the pitch. But on the contrary, it is best to tune a newly purchased piano as soon as it is placed in a suitable location at home. There are three main reasons:

1. Environmental factors. The new piano is tuned in the factory. The environment of the factory is a type with a large space and a lot of noise. The large space and noise will directly affect the listening ability during tuning, which will inevitably affect the tuning effect.

2. Human factors. The tuner's job in the factory is relatively busy. He has to tune about ten pianos every day. There is not enough time to tune each piano. Therefore, the factory tuner's task is only to adjust the pitch of each piano. It is not necessary to adjust the position very accurately. This is determined by the actual situation of the factory.

3. Transportation factors. When a piano that is tuned in the factory goes through a series of processes including inspection, packing, inventory, and transportation before leaving the factory, arrives at the piano store, is sold, and then reaches the user through packing, transportation, and other processes, the intonation of the piano has already changed. change.

Therefore, you need to tune the piano immediately after buying it. After playing for a period of time (about 3 months), let the piano adapt to the humidity, temperature, and space environment of your home before tuning it again. is the best.

4. What common sense do you need to know when buying a piano?

1. Purchase

The piano is an expensive instrument. Since the relevant information is not widely available, and There are many "secrets" that may not be known to outsiders, but some of the following items may be able to solve some of your problems:

(1) Choosing a tone

It is undeniable , Different people have different preferences for timbre. For example, some people like a "brighter" timbre, and some people like a "softer" timbre. However, full bass, solid midrange and crisp treble are basic requirements, as are longer tail notes, sweet overtones and uniform timbre from the first key to the last key.

(2) Requires a sensitive touch

The reaction of the keys must be faster than the reaction of the fingers, which is a sensitive touch. In addition, the feeling of each key should be uniform, the weight should be moderate, and it should be comfortable for the fingers to play without any obstruction, which is a good machine. Avoid choosing keys that are light and floating, light and astringent, heavy and floating, or heavy and astringent.

(3) Identification of materials

Good materials can make the piano more durable, more accurate and less likely to "deteriorate". Don't just rely on what the instructions say.

(4) Judgment of piano brand and its craftsmanship

This key question must have stumped all outsiders. Therefore, we must pay attention to two facts:

1. Industrial mass-produced pianos.

2. The true origin of brand pianos. Because the place of origin is more closely related to the craftsmanship and technology of the piano itself, and the process technology includes important factors such as the design, structure and assembly process of the piano, quality control, etc., therefore it is most cost-effective to choose a piano that matches the place of origin and is genuine.

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2. Major domestic piano manufacturers

Company name

Brand name

1. Zhujiang Piano Group Co., Ltd. Zhujiang, Zhujiang YAMAHA

2. Strauss and NIEER of Shanghai Piano Co., Ltd.

3. Prince and Princess of Yingkou Northeast Piano (Group) Company

4. Ningbo Musical Instrument Products Co., Ltd. produces musical instrument hardware products (piano pegs, piano long hinges)

Common sense about piano maintenance

[Late-in period] for new pianos (Break in Period)

Any new piano must go through a [tuning period] that lasts for about one year when it is settled in a new environment. During this period, the piano body and other parts require special care. Therefore, piano engineers or manufacturers around the world recommend that it is best to have three tunings in the first year so that the piano can maintain its original quality for a long time. At the same time, you must insist on adjusting the pitch to the international standard concert level, that is, A-440C.P.S. to A-445C.P.S.

Ideal location for placing the piano

Please do not place the piano near windows, doorways, kitchens, bathrooms, and do not place the piano against the inside of the exterior wall; because, Outdoor weather changes often bring adverse effects to the piano. The piano should be placed against the interior wall in a place where the sun is out of the sun, 15 to 20 mm away from the wall. At the same time, it is best not to place a fish tank next to the piano.

Temperature and Humidity

Pianos are most afraid of moisture, especially in the south and coastal areas where the climate is rainy and the humidity in the air is high, which can easily damage the piano. The most common phenomena are mechanical failure, the keys cannot bounce back, and the metal parts are rusted. In severe cases, the sound of the piano may even be destroyed. The best way to protect it is to install a dehumidifier inside the piano. Keep the piano somewhere between 15-25 degrees.

Regular tuning

Regular tuning is an important factor in maintaining the original tone of the piano. For a piano, it is best to maintain regular tuning twice a year, and always pay attention to whether the piano's pitch is correct, which is the international standard concert pitch. Otherwise, learners will not be able to have correct listening training and truly enjoy beautiful music. On the other hand, there are more than 220 strings in the piano, and the total tension of the strings is about 20 tons. If the pitch is out of tune, it means that the tension is out of balance, which will permanently damage the piano soundboard and other delicate structural designs.

Also note:

*Every 1-2 years, the inside of the piano must be thoroughly cleaned to keep the wooden and velvet parts from being damaged by dust.

*You must wash your hands before playing the piano. After playing, wipe the keys with a dry cloth.

*Do not place heavy items such as vases, souvenirs, etc. on the piano.