Pianos are a wonderful addition to any home. Whether you want to take lessons, give lessons, or just have one available for use when you feel like playing, there's nothing like a piano of your very own.

However, piano ownership is somewhat of a responsibility. All pianos will lose their tuning as you play them. For that reason, educate yourself on the signs that it's time for a piano tuning. That way, you can keep your piano in great shape and sounding just as it did the day you brought it home.

Play A Few Single Notes

One of the easiest ways to determine if your piano needs tuning is to play each key one at a time. After you press down on the key, listen for any sounds of trembling or wavering.

If you notice this problem with several keys, then it's probably time to have your piano tuned.

Check Your Calendar

Try to think back to the last time your piano was tuned. Ideally, after each tuning, you should write the date down somewhere where you can easily access it.

If you can't remember the last time or if it was a year ago or more, then you're probably more than overdue for a piano tuning.

How often you'll need to tune your piano does vary based on its overall condition and how frequently you play it. Generally, though, most pianos will need to be tuned at least once per year. Any longer than that, and you sacrifice sound quality.

Ask For Outside Opinions

Pianos don't just suddenly go out of tune one day.

Instead, they tend to lose their tuning gradually. The process is often so gradual that, if you play your piano regularly, you may not even notice that something is wrong.

This is why it's good to have an outside person come in and listen to you play. If the song sounds funny to them or like the notes aren't quite right, you probably have a tuning problem that you weren't aware of.

Pianos are typically very good at letting you know when they need to be tuned. Listen carefully to your instrument and get it tuned when you notice these signs. You may also want to consider consulting with a professional piano tuning service and getting your piano set up on a regular tuning schedule. That way, you'll enjoy beautiful music all the time. No matter what, though, treat your piano with care to enjoy many years of music.