Emergency Pre-Performance Tuning: What to Know

Published: 10/28/2026 2:17:29 AM   Clicked: 5

Discovering the piano is badly out of tune on the day of a performance is a nightmare for organisers and performers alike. The biggest difference with emergency tuning is time pressure — a tuner often has only an hour or two to bring pitch back into an acceptable range, rather than aiming for lasting stability.

In this situation, tuners usually prioritise the mid-to-upper register, which listeners notice most, and avoid large adjustments that could shock the strings and cause them to drift again mid-performance. After the show, it's worth booking a proper routine tuning soon after, so the piano actually settles.