Skip to main content

Or Yehuda

Piano pitch raise in Or Yehuda

For pianos that have not been tuned in a year or more and have dropped below standard pitch.

A piano that goes a long time without tuning slowly sinks below concert pitch. We bring it back up to A440 safely, at your home in Or Yehuda or anywhere in the Gush Dan area, and then fine-tune it so it sounds right and holds.

Book a pitch raise in Or Yehuda

What is a pitch raise?

Piano strings are under enormous tension: together, around 18 to 20 tonnes on a typical piano. Over the months that tension relaxes and the whole piano drifts flat. A few cents flat is fixed by a normal tuning. But when a piano is a quarter of a semitone or more below A440, a single tuning can't get it there and keep it there: raising some strings shifts the load on the soundboard and frame, and pulls the strings you already tuned out of place.

A pitch raise is a quick, deliberate first pass that brings every string close to the target pitch, followed by a fine tuning. The piano ends up at standard pitch, so it plays in tune with other instruments, recordings, teaching apps and your teacher's piano.

Signs your piano needs a pitch raise

  • It hasn't been tuned in a year or more, or you don't know when it was last tuned.
  • It sounds in tune with itself, but lower than a keyboard, a tuning app or other instruments.
  • You just bought or inherited a piano that sat unplayed for years.
  • A child is starting lessons and the piano needs to match the teacher's piano and recordings.
  • The piano was moved and then left untuned for a long time.

What the visit includes

  • Measuring how far the piano is below A440 before we start.
  • Checking the tuning pins and strings, to judge whether a full raise is safe for an older piano.
  • The pitch raise pass across all strings, followed by a fine tuning.
  • A quick check of the keys and pedals, with small adjustments where needed.
  • Advice on when to schedule the next tuning so the new pitch holds.

How long it takes

Usually 2 to 3 hours in a single visit, compared with about 1 to 1.5 hours for a regular tuning. A piano that was very flat may need a follow-up tuning a few weeks or months later, once the strings and soundboard have settled. We'll tell you during the visit if that's the case.

How to prepare

  • Clear the top of the piano and the space around it.
  • Tell us roughly when it was last tuned and whether it has been moved since.
  • Plan for a quiet house during the visit: we need to hear each string clearly.
  • If the piano just arrived from storage or a move, let it sit in its new room for a week or two first.

Pitch raise and the climate in Or Yehuda

In Or Yehuda's humid sea air the soundboard swells in summer and shrinks back in the drier months, so the pitch keeps moving. A piano left untuned for years usually ends up flat and uneven from these swings. After a pitch raise, a second tuning within about six months, and then tuning twice a year, keeps it at A440.

What it costs

A pitch raise is done as part of a tuning visit for a piano that has gone more than a year without tuning. Our cost calculator puts that at about 350–580 ILS for an upright and 500–780 ILS for a grand, or up to 680 ILS (upright) and 880 ILS (grand) if the piano also needs work. You'll get an exact price when you book.

Open the cost calculator

Frequently asked questions

Can a very old piano handle a pitch raise?
Usually, yes. Before we start, we check the tuning pins, strings and bridges. If a piano is very old or fragile, we raise it in smaller steps, or suggest tuning it slightly below A440 so it stays safe and stable. We never push a piano past what it can take.
Will the piano stay in tune after a pitch raise?
It will be in tune when we leave, but after a big change in tension the strings and soundboard keep settling for a few weeks. That's why we usually recommend a follow-up tuning within a few months. After that, it holds like any well-maintained piano.
Can a string break during a pitch raise?
Occasionally, on old or rusty strings. We raise the pitch gradually to keep the risk low. If a string does break, we can replace it, and we'll always tell you about any extra work and its cost before doing it.
Why not just tune the piano where it is now?
That's possible, and sometimes the right choice for a fragile instrument. But a piano below A440 won't match other instruments, recordings or a teacher's piano, which is confusing for students and singers. For most pianos, a pitch raise is the better long-term choice.

Book a pitch raise in Or Yehuda

Contact Us

We'll schedule a visit at your convenience.