Alan writes: >Tuned it 10 cents sharp. > Have I sinned? No, you have avoided finding the piano 20 cents flat next January. >How sharp or flat can a piano be, in different temp/humidity environments >and seasons, and still be tunable to standard pitch in one go? You can't get a fine tuning on any piano from farther than 4 cents away. >What is YOUR particular rule-of-thumb? My rule depends on the usage. In the recording studios, 440 +/- 1 cent, in the teaching studios, max is 6 cents deviation,(the teachers much prefer the added stability that comes from not forcing the pianos up and down with the seasons). In the home, I learn what swings to expect after two tunings in different seasons and adjust so that the pianos "center" around 440. That means that if I find a piano 10 cents flat in January, I will raise it to 8 cents flat, mark the record that I did that, and when I see it in the summer, if it is 10 cents sharp, then I know that piano has an 18 cent "swing" and tune it accordingly. If I find a piano 10 cents flat in the middle of the summer, I raise it to 440 and see what happens next winter. There are always exceptions. Some homes have a 70 year old cheap grand that is played at Christmas time with the eggnogg and uncles around it. Pitch is not as important as unbroken strings. Some homes have a flute player or children learning, then I sell the customer a more agressive tuning situation, explaining why keeping closer tolerances requires more tuning. Damp-chaser systems can often ameliorate the problem, also. Regards, Ed Foote RPT
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