CAUT

Hello All.

We have a Steinway D where one note, C5 goes out of tune much faster than the rest of the piano.  I can tune the piano and come back in a week and that note is noticeably flat.  It has also developed somewhat of a false beat.  I've done everything I can see, tuning pin is fine, I tapped down the bridge pins, seated the string on the bridge.  I beginning to think that it is something I can't see, such as the string is weakening and is about to break.  The piano gets a lot of use so over the Spring break is my only window of time, so I would need to do is immediately since there is a big out-of-town group coming in a couple of weeks.  Unless someone can think of another reason for it.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Robert

It may be "just" weakness in the string, but it's also possible the becket is slowly slipping out. If you replace the string, check that the hitch pin is totally solid. If not, replace that too. Good luck!

Hello All.

We have a Steinway D where one note, C5 goes out of tune much faster than the rest of the piano.  I can tune the piano and come back in a week and that note is noticeably flat.  It has also developed somewhat of a false beat.  I've done everything I can see, tuning pin is fine, I tapped down the bridge pins, seated the string on the bridge.  I beginning to think that it is something I can't see, such as the string is weakening and is about to break.  The piano gets a lot of use so over the Spring break is my only window of time, so I would need to do is immediately since there is a big out-of-town group coming in a couple of weeks.  Unless someone can think of another reason for it.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Robert

Hello All.

We have a Steinway D where one note, C5 goes out of tune much faster than the rest of the piano.  I can tune the piano and come back in a week and that note is noticeably flat.  It has also developed somewhat of a false beat.  I've done everything I can see, tuning pin is fine, I tapped down the bridge pins, seated the string on the bridge.  I beginning to think that it is something I can't see, such as the string is weakening and is about to break.  The piano gets a lot of use so over the Spring break is my only window of time, so I would need to do is immediately since there is a big out-of-town group coming in a couple of weeks.  Unless someone can think of another reason for it.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Robert

Hello All.

We have a Steinway D where one note, C5 goes out of tune much faster than the rest of the piano.  I can tune the piano and come back in a week and that note is noticeably flat.  It has also developed somewhat of a false beat.  I've done everything I can see, tuning pin is fine, I tapped down the bridge pins, seated the string on the bridge.  I beginning to think that it is something I can't see, such as the string is weakening and is about to break.  The piano gets a lot of use so over the Spring break is my only window of time, so I would need to do is immediately since there is a big out-of-town group coming in a couple of weeks.  Unless someone can think of another reason for it.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Robert

The whole note, or just one string/tuning pin? I have had such an experience with one string where I finally determined that the tuning pin wanted to jump past the target pitch when being raised, but could be 'eased down' from above pitch - which is what I would do. Problem was that there was friction in the system that was touchy: I could pound the note and it wouldn't budge, but next day (or during a concert) it would drop 10 cents or so.

Solution? Always tune it up to pitch, not up from below. It was hard to learn to move the pin that minute amount when it wanted to jump, but I finally learned to do it, and the process became the basis of a transformative and much more secure stability technique: tune by manipulating the pin, using flex and twist and lots of persistence and patience (though tuning actually goes faster).

IOW, it is possible there isn't some gremlin at work. It could just be an ornery pin/pinblock interaction, together with an ornery frictional problem.

Hello All.

We have a Steinway D where one note, C5 goes out of tune much faster than the rest of the piano.  I can tune the piano and come back in a week and that note is noticeably flat.  It has also developed somewhat of a false beat.  I've done everything I can see, tuning pin is fine, I tapped down the bridge pins, seated the string on the bridge.  I beginning to think that it is something I can't see, such as the string is weakening and is about to break.  The piano gets a lot of use so over the Spring break is my only window of time, so I would need to do is immediately since there is a big out-of-town group coming in a couple of weeks.  Unless someone can think of another reason for it.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Robert

Hello All.

We have a Steinway D where one note, C5 goes out of tune much faster than the rest of the piano.  I can tune the piano and come back in a week and that note is noticeably flat.  It has also developed somewhat of a false beat.  I've done everything I can see, tuning pin is fine, I tapped down the bridge pins, seated the string on the bridge.  I beginning to think that it is something I can't see, such as the string is weakening and is about to break.  The piano gets a lot of use so over the Spring break is my only window of time, so I would need to do is immediately since there is a big out-of-town group coming in a couple of weeks.  Unless someone can think of another reason for it.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Robert

Hello All.

We have a Steinway D where one note, C5 goes out of tune much faster than the rest of the piano.  I can tune the piano and come back in a week and that note is noticeably flat.  It has also developed somewhat of a false beat.  I've done everything I can see, tuning pin is fine, I tapped down the bridge pins, seated the string on the bridge.  I beginning to think that it is something I can't see, such as the string is weakening and is about to break.  The piano gets a lot of use so over the Spring break is my only window of time, so I would need to do is immediately since there is a big out-of-town group coming in a couple of weeks.  Unless someone can think of another reason for it.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Robert

Hello All.

We have a Steinway D where one note, C5 goes out of tune much faster than the rest of the piano.  I can tune the piano and come back in a week and that note is noticeably flat.  It has also developed somewhat of a false beat.  I've done everything I can see, tuning pin is fine, I tapped down the bridge pins, seated the string on the bridge.  I beginning to think that it is something I can't see, such as the string is weakening and is about to break.  The piano gets a lot of use so over the Spring break is my only window of time, so I would need to do is immediately since there is a big out-of-town group coming in a couple of weeks.  Unless someone can think of another reason for it.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Robert

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Robert Callaghan RPT
Reno NV
(775) 287-2140
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