Why Does a Piano Go Out of Tune?

The following was prepared by William Braid White, Mus. D. for his book, Piano Tuning and Allied Arts.

In order to understand why a piano goes out of tune, it is first necessary to remember that the whole instrument is always under a varying stress. The two-hundred-and-thirty odd strings are stretched at average tensions of from one hundred and fifty to two hundred pounds apiece; so that the iron plate, together with the heavy wooden framing carries a strain totaling from eighteen to twenty tons.

Continue reading “Why Does a Piano Go Out of Tune?”