Piano care, explained
Honest guidance from technicians who tune pianos every day.
Tuning & Service
What Actually Happens During a Piano Tuning Appointment
A start-to-finish walkthrough of a tuning visit: the assessment, the temperament, why it sounds strange mid-tuning, and what the technician is listening for.
Tuning & ServiceHow Long Does a Piano Tuning Take?
A standard piano tuning takes about 90 minutes. Here's what fills that time, why a pitch raise runs longer, and how to plan for the technician's visit.
Tuning & ServiceVoicing vs Tuning vs Regulation: Which Does Your Piano Need?
Tuning fixes pitch, regulation fixes touch, voicing fixes tone. A technician explains how to tell which your piano needs — with the symptoms for each.
Tuning & ServiceCan You Tune Your Own Piano? An Honest Answer From a Technician
Technically yes, practically no — and here's the honest why: it's not gatekeeping, it's pin-setting, unisons, and 230 strings. What DIY actually risks.
Tuning & ServiceHow Much Does Piano Tuning Cost in Toronto?
A clear, honest breakdown of what piano tuning really costs in the GTA — and the factors that move the price up or down.
Tuning & ServiceWhat Is A440? Concert Pitch, Explained
Why piano tuners aim for one specific note — and what it means for how your piano sounds with other instruments.
Tuning & ServiceHow Often Should You Tune a Piano? A Straight Answer
The honest answer is simpler than the internet makes it — and the reasons tell you when your piano is the exception.
Piano Care & Climate
How Long Does a Piano Last? Lifespan by Type and Care
A well-cared-for piano lasts 60–100 years; a neglected one fades in 30. What actually ages a piano, the parts that wear, and how to read an old piano's health.
Piano Care & ClimatePreparing Your Piano for a Canadian Winter
Winter is the hardest season on a piano — furnace air, not cold, does the damage. A five-step November routine that protects tuning, soundboard and keys.
Piano Care & ClimateThe Best Humidity Level for a Piano in Ontario — and How to Keep It
Pianos are happiest at 40–50% relative humidity — a range Ontario homes leave twice a year. How to measure it, control it, and whether a Dampp-Chaser is worth it.
Piano Care & ClimateWhere to Put a Piano in Your Home — and Where Never To
The best spot for a piano: an interior wall, away from vents, sun and doors. A technician's guide to placement in Toronto houses and condos.
Piano Care & ClimateA Piano in a Toronto Condo: What Owners Should Know
Yes, you can have a real piano in a condo — neighbours, bylaws, moving, placement and practice hours, from a technician who tunes them across Toronto weekly.
Piano Care & ClimateCaring for Your Piano Between Tunings
A few simple habits — placement, humidity, cleaning — that protect your piano and help every tuning last longer.
Piano Care & ClimateWhy Toronto's Weather Is Hard on Your Piano
The biggest threat to keeping your piano in tune isn't how often you play — it's the air inside your home.
Buying & Selling
Renting vs Buying a Piano in Toronto: The Real Math
Piano rental in Toronto runs $60–$150/month. When renting beats buying, when it quietly costs more, and the third option most families overlook.
Buying & SellingThe Best First Piano for a Child Starting Lessons
A technician's honest guide for lesson families: used upright vs digital vs keyboard, what teachers actually require, and the mistakes that stall beginners.
Buying & SellingHow Much Is My Used Piano Worth?
Most used uprights sell for $0–$2,000 in the GTA; condition and brand decide everything. A technician's honest guide to valuing — and actually selling — a piano.
Buying & SellingHow to Get Rid of an Old Piano in Toronto & the GTA
Donate, sell, give away, or dispose: every realistic option for an unwanted piano in the GTA, with honest costs ($0–$500) and who takes them.
Buying & SellingIs a Free Piano Worth Taking? The Honest Math
Free pianos on Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace can cost $600+ before they're playable — or be a genuine gift. A technician's checklist for telling which.
Buying & SellingBuying a Used Piano? What to Check First
A free or cheap piano can be a gift or a money pit. Here's how to tell the difference before it lands in your living room.
Problems & Repairs
Piano Pedals Not Working: Squeaks, Sticking, and No Sustain
Squeaky, stuck, or dead piano pedals are usually simple adjustments — lost motion, dry felt, or a disconnected rod. What each symptom means and what fixes cost.
Problems & RepairsWhy Your Piano Buzzes or Rattles — and How to Fix It
That buzz is usually not the piano: picture frames, loose hinges, or an object inside. A technician's checklist for finding it — and when it's a real repair.
Problems & RepairsA Piano String Broke — What Now?
A broken piano string isn't an emergency and doesn't mean your piano is failing. What to do with the wire, what replacement costs, and why strings break.
Problems & RepairsSticky Piano Keys: Causes and What Fixes Cost
Why piano keys stick or won't come back up, which fixes you can try yourself, and what a technician's repair costs in Toronto. Honest answers.
Problems & RepairsMoving a Piano: What It Does to Your Tuning
Why a piano almost always needs tuning after a move, and how soon to book it for the best result.
Problems & RepairsWhy Won't My Piano Stay in Tune?
Tuned recently but already sounds off? The real reasons a piano won't hold its tune — and how to make it last.
Problems & RepairsFive Signs Your Piano Is Ready for a Tuning
You don't need a trained ear to know your piano needs attention. Here's what to listen and feel for.