Getting in Tune

In recent years my folks have taken to finding unique or useful birthday gifts. Grown and with families we don’t always need more ‘things.’ This year they offered to get my piano tuned.  That is a good thing because it sounded like a ‘dying moose;’ but for as much as I get to play these days I kept putting the tuning off. It’s about time the thing gets tuned though.

We’ve lived where we are now for almost 3.5 years and the piano hasn’t been tuned. We moved it with us from Tonasket where we had it for 2 years and it wasn’t tuned during that time. Before that the piano was at my folk’s house. With me being away at college and the fact that no one else in the family plays I don’t think they had it tuned since I was in high school. It’s been 10 years since I was in high school…..

So it’s been at least a decade and 2 moves since the old piano was tuned. “Old” is an accurate description too. The piano tuner informed me that my instrument celebrates its 100th birthday this year.

100 is a mixed milestone. On one hand it’s cool to play on a true antique. On the other hand pianos, like people, begin to wear out in their ‘senior’ years and tuning/repairs can get a little pricey. Yep, like people, in their first  5 – 10 years they need a lot of attention. Strings are stretching out, and hammers, and pads are breaking in. Once they reach middle age not much care is needed; just an occasional tune up. However, once they reach the upper 80’s or older things just start wearing out.

My piano sported and handful of broken hammers that needed replacing….that was most of the repair work. There was one missing ivory piece and Mr. Osburne (the tuner) managed to find some knobs for the keyboard cover. The muffler felt was in good shape, but the muffler is about as high as it can go. He tuned it as best he could but the bass keys are still a little flat. The wire coils around those strings should probably be replace, but it’s not worth it for the amount I play and it also might completely damage the piano at its age.

So after a thorough dusting (It’s amazing the amount of dust that accumulates inside a piano in 10 years!), repairs, and a tuning. My piano sounds better. It’s not perfect, but will work for me. I’ll be able to plunk out some Christmas carols without making the dogs howl this year.