Hello, this is Robert Estrin from LivingPianos.com, Your Online Piano Store. The question today is, “Can an out of tune piano have more sustain than a piano that is perfectly tuned?” The simple answer to this question is, believe it or not, yes! Here is an explanation of how and why this is.
If you look inside a piano you know that all the notes have more than one string except on the lowest notes. Most notes have three strings. If you know something about the acoustics of vibrating strings, you understand that if they are vibrating perfectly with one another you’ll get a certain level of sustain. But if one string is just ever-so-slightly out of tune, there will be a slow wave created. If that slow wave is about the same length of time or slightly longer than the sustain of that note, it will actually enhance the sustain of the note more than if it was absolutely dead-on in pitch!
I once talked to a piano tuner who claimed that they purposely de-tuned the piano precisely to get the maximum amount of sustain. I’ve talked to other piano tuners who said that this was total nonsense! My feeling is this: striving to tune a piano is hard enough. Once it is in tune, it is going out of tune little by little. Even if you tried to make the piano perfectly in tune, with every unison phase locked in perfect tune where they didn’t drift at all, in a very short amount of time, some of the notes will still drift slightly sharp or more likely flat. This would cause that slight detuning which could add sustain as long as the tuning doesn’t become so great that the wave cycle is shorter than the length the note sustains naturally.
Indeed, a slightly out of tune piano where the wave cycle is less than the sustain of the notes will sustain longer than a perfectly in tune piano. However, I wouldn’t try to de-tune your piano to get this effect. Believe me, it will de-tune itself soon enough just from playing it! Thanks for all the great questions and keep them coming in to:
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4 thoughts on “Can an Out of Tune Piano Have More Sustain?”
Hi Robert
You are absolutely correct.
If one has a great piano that sustains naturally I would not try this at the expense of clarity.
But if a piano does not sustain due to multiple technical reasons such as to much crown, bad
Hammers that need lower shoulder voicing and improperly fitted hammers to the strings, bad terminations and bridges , I would try to fix these multiple issues prior to the slight de tuning which works as you said.
Another reason for lack of sustain is the humidity level to high which causes the soundboard to stifle the strings. That is why my pianos sustain way better in the winter when heat is on when the board shrinks a little. That is true for all pianos. Damp chasers can also make a difference.
Unless a piano store can maintain all the environmental conditions stable it is very difficult to compare pianos. I am sure that you can attest to that.
Best regards
Bill
There are so many factors that come into play when trying out pianos. Not only does the preparation of a piano, and the environment play a role, but the acoustics of the room can have a dramatic affect upon a piano’s sound as well. That’s why it’s so difficult comparing pianos in different rooms.
Well – if a longer sustain is desired, why wouldn’t piano manufacturers (Steinway, Mason & Hamlin, etc etc,) find ways to and recommend to their certified technicians methods of detuning. Frankly – if a piano is IN tune, well regulated & voiced… the sustain value is somewhat less important. In other words – it is what it is. I’d much rather have an instrument that sounds good, plays well, and keeps its tune reasonably well than one that has a tiny more sustain without those qualities!
The small degree of detuning that creates more sustain is likely to happen anyway shortly after a piano has been tuned since tuning starts to go out as soon as a freshly tuned piano is played. So striving for perfect tuning works fine!