Humidity and Your Piano

Here in North Carolina, we see drastic humidity swings during the changes of the seasons throughout the year. These changes greatly affect the structure of your instrument. Your piano is made of mostly wooden components. The case, soundboard, bridges, keys, and action are all made primarily of wood and therefore susceptible to humidity fluctuations. Here we will focus on the soundboard in relation to tuning stability. The strings on a piano are stretched over a bridge that rests on the soundboard. The soundboard is a thin sheet of wood tightly fitted to the case for acoustic amplification. Think of the wooden body of an acoustic guitar, which has similar properties. In the summer months when we use our central air conditioning, moisture is brought into our homes. This moisture makes its way into the soundboard, making it swell and tightening the strings, pushing the piano sharp in pitch. The opposite happens in the winter months when we use our heating systems. The moisture is pulled out of the air, pushing the piano flat in pitch. Once the pitch is destabilized, the piano does not match when you play along with other instruments or the radio, is unsuitable for ear training, and unreliable for vocal lessons. Therefore, this is why the industry standard is to have all pianos tuned at least every six months in order to keep them stable, preferably with the changes of the season. Schools, churches, and commercial spaces are often a challenge due to the frequency of the climate control being compromised during hours when they are not in use. This can cause pianos in these conditions to need more frequent maintenance.

Finding a reputable technician that you can trust is vital to managing this process. Ducharme's Piano Service is here to consult you on managing your humidity and get you back in tune. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at www.ducharmespiano.com

In our future posts, we will discuss hygrometers, room humidification, piano placement, and Piano Lifesaver Systems; which Ashley is certified to install.