How Often Should You Tune a Piano

Most pianos benefit from tuning twice a year, though the right frequency depends on usage, climate, and whether the piano has recently moved. A piano played daily or exposed to significant seasonal humidity swings may need more frequent attention than this baseline.

Twice a year keeps most home pianos in good playing condition — this baseline accounts for the gradual pitch drift that happens even in a stable environment, simply from the tension strings are under.

A piano fresh from a move or storage often needs tuning to resettle at proper pitch — the change in position, temperature, and humidity that comes with any move can shift a piano out of tune even if it was perfectly in tune beforehand.

Seasonal humidity and temperature shifts affect tuning stability, since wood and strings both respond to changes in moisture in the air — homes that go through pronounced seasonal swings may need tuning adjusted around those changes rather than on a fixed twice-yearly schedule. See the full Piano Tuning FAQ for details.