If you play the piano regularly, it can be surprisingly easy to miss the moment it falls out of tune. The change is gradual — so gradual that many pianists simply adjust to it without realising. In my work across South and South-West London, I regularly arrive at homes where the piano has drifted quite significantly, and yet the owner had no idea until they sat down to play alongside me during the visit.

Here are seven signs that your piano is due for a tuning.

1. The Overall Pitch Sounds Flat

One of the most common situations I encounter is a piano where the entire instrument has drifted flat — sitting below concert pitch (A440). This tends to happen gradually over months or years, particularly in London homes where central heating creates a dry winter environment followed by a damper spring. The shift is slow enough that many players simply don’t notice.

If your piano sounds dull or lacking brightness compared to recordings, or noticeably different when played alongside another instrument, flat pitch is likely the cause. Where the piano has dropped significantly, a pitch raise will be needed before a fine tuning can be carried out.

2. Individual Notes Sound “Wobbly” or Beat Against Each Other

The second common scenario I see is specific notes that sound off while the rest of the piano feels acceptable. Each note on a piano is produced by two or three strings, and when those strings drift apart from each other, you hear a characteristic wavering or “beating” sound — a pulsing that shouldn’t be there. This is often the first thing a trained ear picks up, but it can go unnoticed by someone playing the same instrument every day.

3. Chords Sound Unpleasant Even When Played Correctly

If you play a chord you know is technically right but it sounds harsh or uncomfortable, the problem is likely the tuning rather than your technique. Intervals such as thirds and sixths are particularly revealing — they should ring cleanly and smoothly when a piano is well tuned.

4. The Piano Sounds Inconsistent Across Different Registers

A well-tuned piano should feel even from the lowest bass notes to the highest treble. If one section of the keyboard feels noticeably different from another — even if you can’t quite put your finger on why — this unevenness is a sign that tuning is needed. Different registers can drift at different rates depending on string length and environmental conditions.

5. You Haven’t Had It Tuned in Over a Year

This one requires no listening at all. If you genuinely can’t remember when your piano was last tuned, or if it has been more than 12 months, it almost certainly needs attention — regardless of how it sounds to you.

In my experience, this is the most common scenario of all. Many people play their piano daily and have gradually adjusted to how it sounds. It’s only when they hear a recently tuned instrument — or when I play a few chords at the start of a visit — that they realise how much had changed. After a year or more without tuning, a pitch raise is typically required before a fine tuning can be carried out.

6. Someone Else Notices Before You Do

It’s not unusual for a family member, a music teacher, or an occasional visitor to notice the problem before the person who plays every day. Regular players unconsciously adapt to the sound of their own instrument. If a parent, partner, or teacher mentions that the piano sounds “a bit off,” it’s worth taking that observation seriously — they may be hearing it more objectively than you can.

7. Your Piano Has Recently Been Moved

If your piano has been moved — even just to a different room — it will almost certainly need tuning afterwards. Moving disrupts the string tension across the entire instrument, and settling into a new environment with different humidity and airflow will cause further drift. Allow at least two weeks after a move before booking a tuning, so the piano has time to acclimatise.

What to Do Next

If any of the above sounds familiar, the good news is that most pianos can be restored to a good standard regardless of how long they have been without attention. A pitch raise where necessary, followed by a fine tuning, is usually all that is needed — and regular maintenance afterwards will keep things in much better shape.

I provide professional piano tuning home visits across Sutton, Kingston upon Thames, Wimbledon, Richmond, Croydon, and Bromley. No judgement on how long it’s been.