Stryke Tuning Piano Tuning Services Georgetown, Texas
Tuning & Pitch

Pitch Correction

Sometimes called a pitch raise or rough tuning — the step that brings a piano back to standard pitch so it can hold a fine tuning.

Does my piano need one?

Pitch is the first thing I check at every appointment, and that measurement determines what tuning your piano will require:

Pitch is measured in cents. One cent is a hundredth of a half step, so 25 cents is about a quarter of the way to the next note.

How far off pitchWhat's needed
Less than 8 centsA standard fine tuning.
8–25 centsA pitch correction (+$100), done immediately before the fine tuning during the same appointment.
More than 25 centsMay require a second tuning appointment approximately one month later before the piano will hold a stable fine tuning.

A piano often requires a pitch correction when the last tuning at standard pitch was more than a year ago, or when the piano has been through significant temperature and humidity fluctuations.

What is a pitch correction?

A pitch correction adds back tension your piano has lost. Your piano has over 200 strings, and each one holds about 150–200 pounds of tension — roughly 20 tons altogether, pressing down on the soundboard and bridges. Pianos lose some of that tension every year, whether they're played or not, mostly from seasonal changes in humidity. It has to be added back before the piano can hold a fine tuning.

Adding that much tension back makes the soundboard flex, and the strings begin stretching the moment they come up. Tuned straight to standard pitch in one pass, the piano is already falling flat by the time I reach the last note.

So a pitch correction deliberately overshoots. The strings are brought past the target, they settle close to where they belong, and the fine tuning brings them home — where they stay.

Without a pitch correction

Tuning a flat piano in a single pass The piano starts well below standard pitch and is tuned straight up to it. The strings stretch and the soundboard flexes, so the pitch falls back below standard before the appointment is over. Standard pitch (A440) Starts flat Tuned straight to pitch Flat and out of tune againbefore I finish tuning

With a pitch correction

Why a pitch correction takes two stages The piano starts well below standard pitch, the pitch correction raises it past the target, the strings stretch and the soundboard flexes so it settles back down, and a final fine tuning brings it to standard pitch where it holds. Standard pitch (A440) 1 Starts flat 2 Pitch correction 3 Strings settle &soundboard flexes 4 Fine tuning holds

How can I avoid this in the future?

Various factors contribute to the need for a pitch correction, but two things in particular help you avoid it:

  1. A standard fine tuning every 6–12 months. Whether you play your piano a lot or a little, regular tunings keep proper tension maintained, increase the life of the instrument, and can help avoid the pitch correction process entirely.
  2. Humidity control. The best way to achieve stable humidity for a piano is to install a Dampp-Chaser “Piano Life Saver” humidity control system. Stryke Tuning is a certified installer — more about humidity control →
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