Signs Your Piano Needs Repair, Not Just Tuning

Tuning makes a piano play in pitch. Repair makes a piano play at all. Many piano owners notice something is wrong with their piano and assume it needs tuning — but if keys are sticking, notes are silent, the touch is uneven, or pedals are not working, these are mechanical problems that tuning cannot fix. Here is how to tell the difference.

Signs Your Piano Needs Tuning

• Notes sound slightly off in pitch — a note sounds "sour" compared to adjacent notes
• Chords sound unpleasant even when played correctly
• The piano sounds noticeably flat compared to other instruments or recordings
• It has been more than 12 months since the last tuning
• The piano was recently moved

These are all signs that string tension has changed over time. Standard tuning (S$120–S$160) will resolve these. If the piano is severely flat, a pitch raise (S$170–S$240 total) is needed first.

Signs Your Piano Needs Repair

Keys Stay Down (Sticky Keys)

If one or more keys go down normally but do not spring back up, this is not a tuning problem — it is a mechanical problem with the key bushings (usually caused by humidity swelling) or a broken spring. Sticky key repair costs S$60–S$150.

Keys Make No Sound (Silent Keys)

A key that goes down but produces no sound has a broken action part — broken hammer shank, broken repetition lever, disconnected jack, or broken string. Tuning will not affect this. Repair involves diagnosing and replacing the broken part.

Double Sound on One Keystrike (Ciphering)

If pressing a key once produces two notes instead of one, the repetition mechanism is misfiring. This is a regulation problem, not a tuning problem.

A Note Sustains Without the Pedal (Ciphering Cipher)

If a note sounds continuously without the pedal being pressed, a damper is stuck in the lifted position. The damper felt may be warped from humidity or the damper guide may be damaged. Repair involves re-seating or replacing the damper.

Pedals Not Working

Pedals that feel loose, make noise, or produce no effect need mechanical repair. The sustain, soft, and sostenuto pedals each have mechanical linkages that can fail, stretch, or corrode. Pedal repair costs S$60–S$250.

Uneven Touch — Some Keys Heavy, Some Light

If some keys feel much heavier or lighter than others, the action is out of regulation. Tuning adjusts pitch, not touch weight. Piano regulation (S$200–S$700) corrects this.

Tone Changes on Specific Notes

If one note sounds noticeably brighter, more metallic, or buzzier than the rest, this can indicate a broken string unison, a hammer with a flat spot, or a loose internal component causing sympathetic resonance. These are inspection items, not tuning items.

When to Book an Inspection Instead

If you are unsure whether you need tuning or repair, a piano inspection (S$80, credited toward any work done) is the right starting point. The technician will diagnose all issues — both pitch and mechanical — and give you a clear quote before any work begins.