Wondering if digital pianos need tuning is not something new. When you purchase a new digital piano, something that comes across your mind is the question of do digital pianos need tuning.
Your digital piano is a tool in your arsenal of music production equipment that you want to keep in tip top shape, and sounding great.
Digital pianos are usually equal temperament and no keyboard instrument will be in perfect tune at any given point. Check out Bach’s “Well Tempered Clavier” to learn more about out of tune sound. Keyboards should be able to play in all keys.
Do digital pianos need tuning?
Digital pianos do not require tuning like an acoustic piano does. Sounds are recorded digitally in the piano for playback. Check your instruction manual to find specific tuning instructions to your model, which may or may not exist. Despite there being some tuning that you can do, you will find that digital pianos don’t go out of tune. So you will not need to adjust the tune of your digital piano.
Wondering if electric pianos have to be tuned? Or if your digital piano is out of tune? Here are some common fixes.
Fix #1
A common problem with digital piano being out of tune is that the piano is not getting adequate power. Check and make sure that you are using a proper power cord that is giving your digital piano enough power.
You can use a chromatic tuner to check the pitch of your digital piano, to ensure that everything is working up to spec.
Fix #2
Sometimes, you can experience a problem with one key being broken, you can look into your owners manual for troubleshooting. Check online for the owners manual if you cannot find it.
Fix #3
Re-initializing the keyboard will not help your digital piano tuning.
Fix #4
Another test you can do to see if your digital piano tune is correct is to plug a set of headphones and see if you can still hear the issue.
Fix #5
Use the spectrum analyzer on Audacity to see how overtones may vary from other notes. You can record the specific note that you are having problems with, and several above it. Use Tunelab to check tuning to check inharmonicity measurements and find what the pitch should be.
If you have done all of these, and your digital piano still sounds out of tune, then it could be an issue with the on-board speakers or a connection. Your digital piano may need repair. Learn more about digital piano maintenance here.