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This article is from the Piano Purchase and Maintenance FAQ, by Isako Hoshino rmmpfaq@yahoo.com with numerous contributions by others.

7] My Piano Goes Out of Tune Often. Is Something Wrong?

[7.1] New pianos

As the wood and strings settle in a new piano during its
"break-in" period, it requires a bit more maintenance during
its first year. Wood may shrink or swell a bit, changing the
tension on the strings; strings stretching; compacting of
cloth and felt throughout the action, etc. It is common to
have to call for maintenance more frequently than an older
piano. You can expect to have the new piano tuned about 4
times a year during its first year, and need regulating and
perhaps voicing more quickly than later on in the piano's
life. This is also true for older pianos which were moved
into a different climate condition.

Loosening of tuning pins is rarely a symptom of "settling".
It would instead be a symptom of a defective piano that needs
warranty repair. Tuning pins should not loosen appreciably
for many years.

[7.2] All pianos in general

The best way to find out if something is wrong with the piano
mechanically, is to have a piano technician evaluate the
problem. If mechanically nothing seems wrong, you may have
the "environment control" problem.

Pianos go out of tune primarily because of seasonal changes
in humidity that cause the soundboard to swell and shrink,
thus raising and lowering the tension on the strings. A
constant humidity level will reduce the amount of movement
that the sounding board will experience. This will then help
to keep the piano in tune.

If the piano is placed near a window or source of heat, it is
likely that humidity and temperature changes will have the
piano go out of tune. If the piano is placed against a non-
insulated exterior wall, that too could have a negative
effect on the tuning.

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