I have interesting news. You, the piano owner, can influence how well your piano will hold a tune. Pianos "like" the climate to stay the same and not change. Pianos also "like" to be on a regular tuning schedule. This not just helps the piano sounding pleasant at a musical level, but also keeps the overall tension of the instrument close to what it should be, therefore only requiring regular scheduled service. Owning a good indoor hygrometer is an inexpensive but wise investment. The smaller the window of fluctuation between humidity and temperature, the smaller the fluctuation that the piano soundboard will adjust to it. A good target is to keep humidity around 42% and temperature around 72 degrees F. During the winter months, an indoor humidifier is ok as long as it is not next to the piano or under a grand piano. Sometimes just boiling a pot of water a day or bringing in a few extra potted plants will help.
Instruments that are subject to less indoor climate maintenance may function well on 2 tunings per year or as needed for performance.
For further control, a Dampp-Chaser humidity system can be installed for instruments that struggle with stability caused by a major climate change or surrounding environments that vary greatly. Contact Hansen Piano for more details.
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