3 Signs Your Recent Move Knocked Your Piano Out Of Tune

After moving to a new home, you may wonder if your piano is still in tune after all of the movement and stress put on the instrument. If so, look for the following signs that your recent move knocked your piano out of tune.

Single Notes Waver

Each note on your piano is made by two or three strings vibrating whenever you depress the key. When your piano is tuned properly, the strings for each key vibrate simultaneously to create the desired note.

However, if the strings have been stretched or knocked out of alignment, you will hear each string vibrate separately, causing a wavering sound of two or more tones instead of one tone. Check for this wavering sound by pushing down each key separately, allowing the vibrations to stop before pressing the next one. If even one single note wavers, there is a good chance that other notes have been affected by the move's impact. 

Octaves No Longer Blend

Another sign that your piano is no longer in tune is when the octaves no longer blend together. Although each note has a different tone as you travel up the keyboard, each corresponding note should still have the same sound. 

However, if the piano is no longer in tune, the notes in each octave may have a different sound. For example, the "C" at the treble end of the keyboard may have a different pitch than the corresponding key at the bass end.

To check for changes in octave for the notes, hold the sustain pedal down with your foot, and slowly press down a particular note at various sections of the keyboard. If they no longer have the same sound, your piano is likely out of tune.

Chords Sound Off

Along with each note's octave sounding different, you may also notice that the chords no longer play together in harmony. If even one of the notes in a chord is out of tune, the sound it makes will be off.

Start checking the chords with a simple one, such as "C" major. Press the "C" note, then slowly follow with the "E" and the "G" notes. Repeat the sequence for varying chords along the keyboard. If the sounds no longer sound the way they should, your piano is probably not in tune.

If you notice any of the above signs after moving your piano, the move may have knocked everything out of tune. If you suspect that this is the case, contact a piano tuning service, like Steve Nichols Piano Tuning, to have them look at and tune your piano for you.

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